Category Archives: Uncategorized

Christopher McCandless

The book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer follows the tracks of a bright young man who travels across the United States, frustrated and angered by the constraints and norms of society in the early 1990s. He deserted his car in a canyon, donated all $24,000 of his savings to charity, and hitchhiked to Alaska, where he took 10 pounds of rice and a rifle into the wild Alaskan backcountry. Five months later, his body was found on an abandoned bus. It was discovered that he died of starvation due to his inability to cross back over an overflowing river. His last known words were written on the back of a page from a book: “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”

The man’s name was Christopher McCandless. After his death, many rolled their eyes at his story and thought of him as another young fool taking unnecessary risks with surviving in the wild. Those who were familiar with the unforgiving nature of the Alaskan backcountry knew of similar tales of young men trying to find a meaning in nature and prove themselves capable of surviving.  While McCandless’ intentions may have been similar, he was as happy as he had ever been. Through his documented accounts of his journeys and the last note he left on the page, it was clear that, regardless of the perils of living alone with limited supplies in unfamiliar territory, it was for him one of his greatest sources of vitality and joy.