Analysis Of Chris Mccandless 'Into The Wild'

Roman poet, Horace, believed that, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” If this were the case, however, then why did Chris McCandless, who was faced with the adversity of starvation, not only fail to overcome his problem, but failed to have any type of talents brought out to try and prevent his death. Chris McCandless was a 24 year old man who had a book written about him and his adventures called, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. This rather odd story begins with Chris giving away his college money of 24,000 to charity. He then reinvents himself and changes his name to Alexander Supertramp. After this Chris packs his things and heads into the wild, burning all his money and
then ditching his car in a forest. Chris spends the next two years hitch hiking across North America and Mexico. In what was suppose to be his final journey before returning back home, Chris hitch hiked all the way up to Stampede Trail, Alaska and spent 4 months there. When it came time to leave, Chris’ escape route was closed off and he was trapped. As he prolonged his journey, Chris quickly faced the situation of starvation. In September 1992, a couple of moose hunters came across Chris’ dead body wrapped in a sleeping bag inside of a bus. If Horace’s claim was true, the thought of starvation would have brought out the drive and motivation to stay alive, however, Chris was far too weak and ill to attempt a comeback. Aside from the notes Chris wrote, begging for someone to come save him, Chris’ problem was out of his hands. Additionally, Horace points out that adversity brings out the talents needed to face problems, talents that wouldn’t have been brought out under normal circumstances. Except, under normal circumstances Chris had an aura around him that sparked people’s interest and the mindset that he could conquer anything. Therefore the adversity he faced crushed his spirit and deflated his mindset. Chris’ mindset, characteristics, and the situation he was in all provide supporting evidence that Horace’s claim is not accurate.