Essay about The Search For Happiness in Jon Krakauers...

Chris McCandless was a very unique individual. In Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, he tries his best to make sense of McCandless’ journey to the Alaskan wilderness. However, he never really figured out what McCandless’ purpose of the trip was. Looking at McCandless’ life throughout the book, I believe that Chris McCandless went on his journey to find happiness within his own life and did achieve it in the end. Throughout his adolescent to young adult years it was very clear that Chris had an attachment to the wild. In chapter 11, as Walt reminisces about Chris and their family camp trips he reflects, â€Å"‘Chris loved those trips, the longer the better . . .’†(108). Even at a very young age, Chris had a fascination about living within†¦show more content†¦Again we see Chris’ love for nature in chapter 12 when he takes a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, as Krakauer states, â€Å". . . but he had been smitten by the vastness of the land, by the ghostly hue of the glaciers, by the pellucid subartic sky,† (124). Chris’ trip to Fairbanks can explain why he chose Alaska as his final destination, it was it’s profound beauty that captured Chris almost into a trance that made him go back. As Chris breathed his last breath, he was finally able to find his inner happiness through the Alaskan wilderness. In chapter 18, Krakauer notes about Chris’ final photo of himself, describing Chris as, â€Å"[he] was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God,† (199). The way he was described in this picture shows that Chris has in fact found the happiness that he was looking for and was able to leave this earth in peace. Then again, in chapter 18, the last words of Chris McCandless wrote, â€Å"I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD.GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL,†(199). Although he was in severe pain, from starvation, he was still able to find the bright side of things. He was able to die in the one place that he had desired to be at. As Chris ventures into the Alaskan wild he was able to find the happiness he was longing for. It was a type of happiness that he could only experience when he was with nature as seen throughout his life. As he laid in his death bed, he never spoke about any regrets he had,Show MoreRelatedInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1128 Words   |  5 PagesInto the Wild Jon Krakauer’s compelling novel, â€Å"Into the Wild† is a true story about Christopher McCandless’ search for identity. McCandless was enamored in the idea of escaping a life that revolves around material possessions. 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