In to the Wild

Into the Wild Essay

"Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult that he frequently made his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exultation." From page 157.

Nature seems to connect with man when man finds a fault with mankind. Man can not only use nature as a way to escape society but to also enjoy its beauty. The final understanding of ones self concludes with triumphant or failure. Wilderness provides an escape from society and the disappointments of mankind and it provides one with an opportunity to triumph over adversity.

The epigraph is almost always correct. Where else can a man go if he is disgusted with mankind and society? The Wilderness gives man the chance to be challenged by nature and oneself without being judged by mankind and society. He is free to be self-sufficient. The triumphs will always be with you as well as the failures. And in the extreme case of challenging the wilderness the failure was fatal

Chris McCandless was disgusted with the truth about his father and the double life he led. He was very displeased about coming from wealth and didn't like what his father had done in the past with his family. So he turned to the wilderness for the answers. He tried to escape from society and exercise his independence, self-sufficiency, and sense of adventure. The wilderness seemed to impress Chris and it drove him. He moved out west and had no contact with his family; he did things that put him and nature together. He paddled a canoe all the way to Mexico and he took on numerous jobs so he could make his biggest and greatest trip. A trip to Alaska, this trip took him to a greater extreme. To just be with himself and all that nature offered him. He was so sure of himself that he could make it through anything and believed not so much that it was luck but it was his own will and determination. Now after being in Alaska for a few months, Chris thought he finally had the answers or at least was ready to return to civilization, he was triumphant; he had survived for several months on his own in the wilderness. Then things took a turn, as he was making his way out of a secluded area he couldn't cross the river to make the trip back. He was trapped he didn't know of any other ways out of the brush, so he had no choice but to continue to rough it. He continued to live a while until a few bad choices proved to be fatal, and how quickly the triumph was gone. His great odyssey of a trip cost him his life.

The wilderness plays an important role to man. Man feels connected to nature and can see it as an escape. He can return to days of hunters and gatherers and really appreciate all it has to offer. It allows him to break away