Chris McCandless
Okay, so like I said, I'm always late on seeing the movies or books that everyone talked about over a year ago. Into the Wild is another one. That whole story has made me think so much and makes me so sad. I researched online as much as I could this morning and was just so irritated with what I found. There were so many articles from people that were so angry and attacking of Chris McCandless. Saying he was most likely a schizophrenic, mentally ill, and just plain stupid for doing what he did.
Here is my opinion on the whole matter. What is it to these people? Did any of these reporters, residents of Alaska, or writers really know him? No. So what gives them the right to attack someone after their death? My opinion on the whole matter is good for him. He saw things he didn't like about society. He experienced a way of life that he did not enjoy or approve of, and wanted to experience another way of life. Instead of dreaming of what a life like that would be like, he acted on it and did it. Maybe others can't understand it, maybe even apart of me can't completely understand it, but if that's what HE wanted, who is to stop him or attack him on it? It's his body, his life. He should be able to live it the way he wants to.
I really truly wish he would have survived though. But unfortunately, we might not have even known his story if he had. People attack him and say how unprepared he was to live in the wild. He did not bring a map, or a compass. Had he done so, he would have realized there was a hand-drawn tram to cross the river 1/2 mile from the bus. That makes me sad, only because his journals state that he did want to leave. He wanted to be rescued once he found out he was trapped. That part of the story is sad to me. He found what he was looking for, but it was too late.
I think a lot of people can relate to his thoughts on society and why he wanted to escape. Can you imagine living without having to work? Every day you hunt and gather your food, and you enjoy the natures of the world. It's a much harder life than what everyone is used to, but I think in Chris' mind it was much more worth it to have a shorter, harder life, without all the materialistic dramas and stress from modern life. It's an interesting concept to think about.
And so what if he was mentally ill? He was obviously stable enough to know what would make him happy. Even though it killed him in the end, it was what he had wanted to experience. I don't understand how people can attack him about something they don't understand. That right there, I think, is EXACTLY the reason he wanted to escape society and experience life a different way.
I don't know, I'm sorry... I really gotta stop seeing movies or reading books. I get way too involved and they mess with my emotions too much.