Jessica Gomez
Expo comp
Life’s True Meaning
In the United States, American citizens are expected to live a life consumed by obligations, schedules, and routines. In the book “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer, the main character Christopher McCandless refused to conform to these ideals. As a result McCandless “hitchhiked to Alaska…gave $25,000 in saving to charity…abandoned most of his possessions…and burned all the cash on his wallet.” This was the start of his new journey.
McCandless set out to Alaska to devote himself to the absolute beauty of nature. He believed life had more to offer, more than materialistic things such as fancy cars, woman, and money. McCandless was a Romantic, a person who admired and worshiped nature. He believed the greatest blessings were not appreciated. Therefore, he left everything behind to explore and cherish the beauty of life founded in nature. McCandless went into the wilderness “not to escape but to find reality.” However, others like Shawn Carlarman believed McCandless “had no business going to Alaska with his silliness” but in fact McCandless was at peace. He went “into the wild” with hardly anything but the vulnerability of his freewill.
McCandless was in search of serenity, a sense of absolute freedom. He states “how I feed myself is none the governments business. Fuck their stupid rules.” This shows that McCandless had no desire in being controlled. He wanted freedom in every sense of the word. He believed nature was a spiritual and therapeutic retreat that allowed individuals to connect with their soul and true identity. By true identity, I mean, a persons characteristics, thoughts, and dreams, not a person’s background, name, or accomplishments.
McCandless found the idea of contributing to societies corruption and evil repulsive. He believed a person’s value is not measured by their success but by their noble intentions. He states “It is the experiences, the memories, and the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extend in with real meaning is found” This shows McCandless state of mind and his thoughts based on what he considers to be significant in a person’s existence. McCandless encourage people to chase their dreams and follow their calling. He attempted to convince the world that we must bless ourselves and not give in to the government’s manipulation and deception. Many people, like Shawn Carlarman may believe “McCandless made a lot of mistakes based on this arrogance” but in fact he was Courageous. Brave to stand by his ideas and go to Alaska on his own.
Giving yourself to something absolute, trusting your ideas, and following your dreams is a conscious decision that an abounding number of people have difficulty achieving. Christopher McCandless should be honored for his drive and determination, for he was rare and courageous; a man that understood the true meaning of being alive; a man who lived and died by his ideals.
