The book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer has sparked many different opinions. Based on a true story, it follows Chris McCandless, a 24 year old, whose mysterious death in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness continues to intrigue readers several years later.
Chris McCandless, gave up everything– his money, his car, even his name to start a new life, far away from his family.
Right after college, he donated his savings to charity, left most of his belongings behind, and started walking across the U.S. calling himself “Alexander Supertramp.”
Chris wanted something more real than what he saw in everyday life, so he decided not to tell anyone where he was going.
This caused his family to sit in great pain wondering if he was alive, something no parent would ever want to go though. Chris’s parents, Walt and Billie, are left with just the memory of their son.
Many students and staff have mixed feelings about Chris McCandless, but I thought his story was very fascinating.
Even though Chris didn’t make the best decisions, I still feel that this book should be read by every student.
Trying to understand his point of view was quite difficult, but by the end of the story I learned that all Chris wanted was an adventure in his life, and he didn’t get that experience back at home.
Learning others’ perspectives is something that every reader should have an open mind to and Into the Wild allows readers to understand Chris.
A junior, Addison DelMedico, who just finished reading this book, has mixed feelings.
“Into the Wild wasn’t my favorite book,” Addison said. “But I thought Chris McCandless story was pretty interesting. It was crazy how he gave up everything to live on his own in the wild, and it made me think about how different people see happiness.”
A staff member, Ms. Ellis also has different opinions on Chris McCandless.
“I don’t like how under-prepared he was and over-confident that he would be able to make the journey,” Ms. Ellis said. “Chris seemed to be naive. I think that he was generally a good person that didn’t mean to die.”
This book is part of the English 11 curriculum, and it’s one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever read. It really caught my attention and made me want to keep reading.
Chris McCandless story was hard to relate to at times because his choices were so different from what most people would do. Still, that’s what made it so interesting. It made me think about freedom and what it means to live your own way.