Discussion Topic
Navigating Dreams, Reality, and Parallels in Into the Wild
Summary:
In Into the Wild, dreams and reality often intersect as Chris McCandless pursues his idealistic vision of living in harmony with nature. He rejects societal norms and materialism, seeking authenticity and self-discovery. This journey illustrates the tension between romanticized dreams and harsh realities, ultimately highlighting the dangers and rewards of following one's dreams to their fullest extent.
In Into the Wild, how is Krakauer's life related to McCandless'?
Krakauer's life and McCandless's life are similar in a few ways. Concretely, there is the similarity that both men decided to venture out, alone, into the wilds of Alaska. Both men did so at relatively young ages as well.
Another similarity between Krakauer and McCandless is their relationships with their fathers. During college, McCandless quickly became disillusioned with his father. As a result, McCandless began distancing himself from his dad and developed an aversion to his father's financial support. For example, McCandless ended up donating his remaining college money to a charity. Krakauer doesn't go into detail about his own father, but he does admit that he feels kinship with McCandless because of their father issue.
But I believe we were similarly affected by the skewed relationships we had with our fathers. And I suspect we had a similar intensity, a similar heedlessness, a similar agitation of the...
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soul.
A key difference between the two men though is that McCandless, by all accounts, was not likely to ever return to civilization. He was too much of an idealist for it. Krakauer, on the other hand, is more of a realist. He realized that while he enjoyed his adventures, he ultimately saw them as exactly that -- adventures. Not a way of life.
In Into the Wild, how does McCandless navigate from dreams to reality?
I will answer this question differently than the other post.
McCandless certainly does make his dream of living a solitary life on the Stampede Trail a reality. After much sacrifice, travel experience, and reinvention of his identity, McCandless finally arrives in the Alaskan wilderness, believing it will be a grand, transcendentalist utopia of sorts.
However, one could argue that this fantasy of the Alaskan wilderness is itself a dream. McCandless romanticizes an ascetic lifestyle removed from society, but he did not adequately prepare himself for the all the obstacles that ultimately caused his death.
Krakauer explains how McCandless had not accounted for the rising water levels that would make his journey back to civilization impossible for months. He also explains that McCandless was not a skillful hunter; instead he relied on gathering. Krakauer posits that McCandless died from poisoning resulting from eating the wrong species of potato seed.
One detail that shows McCandless likely had an epiphany of sorts while alone in the wilderness comes from a book he left behind, written by Leo Tolstoy. McCandless had written “happiness is only real when shared” in the margin of his copy of Family Happiness.
This suggests that McCandless realized the loneliness of his solitary dream, understanding the reality that life is meant to be spent with other people. Unfortunately, reality also meets McCandless because it prevents him from ever reuniting with people while alive.