Emerson Gifford

Mrs. Sander

English 11

15 April 2017

Is Jon Krakauer Qualified to Judge Chris McCandless?

I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all, was

written scratched onto a piece of paper next to the bed of Chris McCandless. In August of 1992,

his starved body was discovered in an abandoned bus, after him trying to live up there for three

months. Soon after, journalist Jon Krakauer wrote an article, and then a book on the story of

McCandless. In this book he examines whether McCandless was being idiotic or adventurous,

however, many people dont believe that he was qualified to judge him correctly, having not

experienced the same thing. Jon Krakauer was very qualified to judge McCandless because of

his experience in nature and his extensive research.

One of the most important reasons why Jon Krakauer is qualified is because he spent

most of his life working in nature. Because of his experience in the wild, he has the knowledge to

tell if Chris McCandless was being risky, or simply reckless. Krakauer grew up in Corvallis,

Oregon, where his father introduced him to mountaineering at eight years old. After college,

Krakauer split his time between Colorado and the Pacific Northwest, working as a fisherman and

a carpenter. For the next two decades after, his life revolved around climbing mountains. His

entire life has revolved around nature, so he could have easily told what was going through Chris
McCandless head while he was out there. Because he has spent so much time working in this

environment, he can easily tell what warrants reckless or smart behavior.

A second reason why Krakauer is qualified to judge McCandless on his journey is

because of his extensive research. Krakauer went in depth to interview multiple different people

from Chris past, and people who helped him on his journey, such as Jim Gallien, who added,

He wasnt carrying anywhere near as much food and gear as youd expect a guy to be carrying

for that kind of trip (Krakauer, 4). He even went so far as to interview Chris parents, who

added an immense amount of detail to the story. By interviewing these people, he now knows

from first-person accounts of what Chris McCandless was actually like, and what he brought

with him to Alaska. Using this information, Jon Krakauer can accurately criticize McCandless

for his inability to be prepared.

As a result of his beliefs on how McCandless died, many people disagree that Krakauer

was qualified to write about him. It was originally stated in the autopsy that Chris McCandless

died from starvation, however Jon Krakauer has been arguing for years that he was poisoned by

potato seed that he had consumed, as stated in a journal entry by McCandless. However,

Krakauer spent years researching this potato seed and the possibility of it causing Chris death.

He was skeptical until an essay from a scientist named Ronald Hamilton surfaced explaining the

chemical makeup of this potato seed and how it is possible to be fatal. This essay was the final

proof that Krakauer needed to say how McCandless truly died. There are still people who claim

that Krakauer is ridiculous and unreliable because of this information, however the facts that

have arisen can officially prove that his theories are correct. The people who say that he is not
qualified because of his inconclusive theory about McCandless death are incorrect, because he

has done the necessary research to find an official answer.

Jon Krakauer spent many years studying and working with the life of Chris McCandless.

After writing a short article, his book, Into the Wild, published soon after shows his true feelings

about the story. Although many people may think that he was not qualified to judge McCandless

in Into the Wild, it is very clear that he was because of his research and history in nature.

McCandless has left an impact on many people, and Jon Krakauer was able to do the necessary

research and use personal knowledge from his past to write a book about a man who has become

an icon.
 Works Cited

Krakauer, Jon. "How Chris McCandless Died: An Update." The New Yorker. The New

Yorker, 11 Feb. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Krakauer, Jon. Into the wild. New York: Anchor , 2015. Print.