Death of an Innocnet

I believe that there are some people in society that are similar to McCandless character. Society has not changed significantly since McCandless journey into the wilderness. There are people in society; whether they are college students are not, that have the same free spirits that are unafraid, and adventurous like Chris. They seem to be trying to search for a type of truth to satisfy their many questions about society, or about themselves. I’m not saying that these people that are similar to Chris will go off into the wildness like he did, but many may find different paths and ways of finding their truth. Chris has always been the optimistic and adventurous type, as a child he “marched to the beat of a different drum”. He has always had the spirit of a humanitarian, he dreamed of going to South Africa to aid the homeless and join the fight against the apartheid.
Sometimes people may want to escape the consistent norms of society, just to get away from everything that they know or were raised to do. This is what I believe Chris McCandless wanted to do, besides taking a journey to seek truth he also wanted to escape the bounds of a “normal society”, as well as everything it had to offer. For example, Chris grew up in a wealthy home where he probably had everything he could have wanted in life, without having to work hard for it. He had two loving parents that had well paying careers as aerospace engineers with a firm. His college fund was paid at his parents’ expense to the very expensive and prestigious Emory University and law school. In addition, his parents also made sure that Chris received twenty thousand dollars in his account to be used at his disposable. Yet he goes away from his home where it is safe, and out into his own dangerous journeys, ignoring the simple fact that he could easily have had a really great life if he wanted that opportunity. Instead he enjoys being out in the wilderness, moneyless, without clean clothes, adequate food, and suitable shelter. As he tells a man named Westerberg in a postcard that he thinks life is more exciting when he had to find his own meal in the woods and had no money. He prefers the idea of ruffing it. In my opinion, as I read Chris’s statement, I agree somewhat with his beliefs. If world did not revolve around money, just maybe it would be more exciting to actually work really hard to make a living. Also to appreciate life more than just the materialistic things that it has to offer. Chris’s idea may seem crazy to most people because of the norm of having money to buy food, clothes, shelter, and having jobs. It is unaccepted to go into a foreign territory, having to haunt for fish, squirrels, and other wild animals for a means of survival. Only when one can release them selves from their natural roles in society can they honestly and truly find peace.