Discussion Topic
Arguments suggesting Chris caused his own death in "Into the Wild"
Summary:
Arguments suggesting Chris McCandless caused his own death in Into the Wild include his lack of communication about his whereabouts and his decision to venture into the wilderness alone without proper gear or a topographic map. Additionally, despite advice from experienced outdoorsman Jim Gallien, McCandless refused essential equipment and remained unprepared for the harsh Alaskan environment, leading to his demise.
What arguments from Into the Wild suggest Chris is to blame for his death?
There are many locations within Krakauer's text that a reader could use to support the idea that McCandless is to blame for his own death. One general piece of evidence is McCandless's lack of communication with people. He didn't let anybody know where he was going to be or for how long. McCandless also put himself at risk by repeatedly being in the wilderness alone. If an injury happened, he had no way of getting himself help quickly.
For specific information, I would use the book's opening chapter. This chapter introduces readers to McCandless and Jim Gallien. Gallien picks up the hitchhiking McCandless. Gallien is an experienced outdoorsman, and he tells Krakauer that his initial impressions of McCandless were mixed. Gallien thought that McCandless was intelligent and friendly, but completely naive about what it takes to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.
McCandless's gun is woefully under powered and his clothing...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
is inadequate for the terrain and weather. Gallien offers to take McCandless into town and buy him the proper gear, and McCandless stupidly turns him down. I definitely blame McCandless for his own death due to the fact that he didn't enter the wilderness with proper gear.
McCandless also stupidly didn't take a basic topographic map with him. This is something that Krakauer points out to readers late in the book. Had McCandless had this simple and easy to carry item, he would have realized how close he was to getting himself out of trouble. Instead, McCandless stayed at the bus and essentially hoped for rescue.
Chris McCandless deliberately cut himself off from society in a journey to find himself. In doing so, he made the mistake of never fully revealing his location to others, preventing them from keeping tabs on him while he lived alone in Alaska. He also didn't fully prepare himself for a life of hunting and gathering, which by definition do not provide a steady, reliable food source. While he made some preparations, such as bringing a book on edible wild plants and a rifle, he did not adopt the proper mindset, nor did he take better precautions against starvation. Some also see it as a deliberate suicide, based on a letter he wrote:
"If this adventure proves fatal and you don't ever hear from me again I want you to know you're a great man. I now walk into the wild." When the adventure did indeed prove fatal, this melodramatic declaration fueled considerable speculation that... when he walked into the bush, he had no intention of ever walking out again.
(Krakauer, Into the Wild, Amazon.com)
This position cannot be corroborated, however, and most people who talked to Chris claimed that he had a great love of life. In any case, the "blame" for his death is certainly a result of his own actions; however, there were many other factors, many of which were accidental. The river being flooded when Chris decided to return to civilization, for example, is simply coincidence, and yet instead of trying to cross at a shallower area Chris simply returned to his bus and starved. In the sense that he could have done more to save himself, Chris could be "blamed," but in the sense that his death might have been unavoidable, it was a function of his mindset and his environment.