Child of the Wild Found Dead

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Jake Wade

Mrs. Zurkowski

Aquas

29, March 2010

Child of the Wild Found Dead:

By: Jake Wade, Mrs. Zurkowski’s English Class

            Chris McCandless was a “Child of the Wild” and a true son of God.  Chris set out into the wild after college and then was found dead in a bus on August 18^th, 1992.  His probable cause of death was starvation from lack of eating.  Jon Krakauer covers and tracks down everything that Chris goes through in the book Into the Wild.  This book tells the story from start to finish of Chris’s adventure into the wild and into heaven.  My view on Chris’s trip across the country is very positive, only for the fact that he did what he had to do to resist everyday life and escape the pressures of being himself.

            Chris was a very smart and athletic college Grad when he attended Emory University.  He graduated with honors and with some experience of writing in a newspaper.  Chris was not the social type and avoided Fraternities and sororities while he was enrolled there.  His dad was an engineer for NASA and he had high hopes for Chris until he was found dead.  Chris had a family and that may be why some people question his leaving but he wanted venture on his own and start over and not be sucked into the world that his parents had made for him.  Some interviews with Chris’s parents show that his father was not hurt emotionally when Chris had left but he was more disappointed that he lost his perfect son.  They were very much alike but they shared different views

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on life.  On the other hand, Chris’s mom, Billie, was so emotional when he left that she started see him and hearing his voice at night.  She claims to of heard his voice calling to her and saying, “Help mom, help (Krakauer, pg.175).”  Chris realized how he would hurt his family when he left them wondering where and why he had left, but he also knew that he could not take his life anymore and had to escape to where no one would find him.

            Some say that Chris’s journey Into the Wild was negative and that it was the most idiotic thing one could do.  They only say this because of the fact that he had died.  Say this happened, Chris goes into the wild, does everything that he did and he makes it back alive and in perfect condition.  This didn’t happen, but if it did almost everyone would think that he was a hero for having the guts to throw his life on the line and be one with nature.  Some people would still say he was an idiot but there will always be another side to the argument and an alternate ending to the book of life.  Chris found his own ending and that was to die happy and in peace with himself and God.  “He was at peace, serene as a monk of God (pg, 199).”  Chris was a “Child of the Wild” and he would never have chosen to die another way than being surrounded by nature and his love for God.

            Positive or negative Chris had a liable reason for going into the wild and risking his life for a new one.  Chris isn’t alive today but if he were he would probably defend his reasons for going into the wild and he would most likely reunite with his family and go back to his old life.  Chris did what he had to do to resist everyday life and it was his choice.  Everyone has their own view on life and his was going off into the wild and retreating from the pressure of being him.

Citations:

·         Krakauer, Jon, Into the Wild, 1992