Rethinking McCandless’ Philosophies

Directions: Sorry I’m out today! Your first priority is to make sure that you have finished
reading Into the Wild. Once you have done so, please address the following prompt:

*You may work with others to plan out your response, but make sure your writing is individual
and reflective of your own thoughts/interpretations!

In what ways does MCandless’ philosophies on life change at the end of the book? Also
consider, why may Krakauer have held out on revealing this information until the end of the
book? How does this reshape our understanding of McCandless as a character? (try to be
detailed.
Throughout the book, McCandless’ story revolved around him escaping society to find his
true self in the Alaskan wilderness. His life is described as if he were unsettled with it,
wanting to rid himself of material possessions and live a simpler existence, however by the
end of the book he finds peace. Once he knew it was the end, in his journal he wrote, “I
have had a happy life and thank the lord” (199). MCandless’ philosophies on life changed at
the end of the book, after over 100 days apart from society, he found happiness in nature
and was ready to return. Understanding McCandless’ death changes the way he is
portrayed. At first, readers see him as young and arrogant, someone who does not
understand the finality of death and the power of nature. However, Krakauer withheld
information about how he died until the end of the book to prove that he wasn’t as
ignorant as he seemed. We learn that McCandless died due to mold growth on seeds,
something he wouldn’t have known would be the deciding factor of his fate. Krakauer
states that McCandless “wasn’t quite as reckless or incompetent as he had been made out
to be” (194) because his death did not come at his own fault.