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The Call Of The Wild Chris Mccandless Analysis

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Christopher McCandless was a young man who went on an undeniably extraordinary journey. It is easy to romanticize the live he lived and his journey to unearth his spirit. However, it’s also easy to dismiss him as a victim of the fearlessness and ignorance of youth. I believe both of these interpretations of Chris are wrong. I think he was a complex individual who was foolish and intelligent, logical and passionate, dedicated and stubborn. He was a living contradiction, like most people are. Part of Chris was a dreamy youth wandering the world in order to achieve what he perceived to be the ultimate freedom for his soul. It is an admirable goal for most people. He had enough courage to be able to leave his comfortable life and venture into the harsh unforgiving world. He was dedicated to his …show more content…
It’s hard not to sympathize with the grieving family he left behind. It seems cruel to leave his family without any closure, to let them wonder “’Where is he? Is he warm? Is he hurt? Is he lonely? Is he okay?’”(125). He felt his childhood illusions melt when he learned of his father’s betrayal. While he is understandable upset, the lengths he went to to distance himself from his family are extreme. His refusal to contact them throughout his journey also shows his stubbornness. A stubbornness that shows itself again and again as he refuses the aid that is offered to him. This quality is closely related to what many perceived to be ignorance. He didn’t know the correct season to embark on this Alaskan adventure during and he certainly wasn’t as prepared as he should have been. His ignorance was further proved when he mistook a caribou for a moose. However, it was later found that, while Chris made mistakes, “confusing a caribou for a moose wasn’t among them”(178). While he made a number of substandard decisions that effectively ended his life, Chris can’t simply be written off as a victim of his own

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