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Christopher Mccandless Tragic Hero

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Christopher Mccandless Tragic Hero
Ariana Rabago Mr. Price World Literature Christopher McCandless Tragic Hero

Aristotle the Greek philosopher, believed that a tragic hero had four characteristics. His first belief of a tragic hero is nobility or wisdom by birth. The second is hamartia also known as a flaw or mistake flaw of character. His third belief is, a reversal of fortune peripetia brought because of the hero’s hamartia. A tragic hero’s final characteristic is anagnorsis the discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought by the hero’s own actions, and the flaw is recognized to late to save the hero from his fall. A similar hero is a sacrificial hero. A sacrificial hero is a person who gives everything up for the greater good. The novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, is about a young man, Christopher Johnson McCandless who leave society to live in the wilderness. Chris is the perfect example of what a tragic hero should be because he had everything in the world but gives it up to live in the wilderness because he did not agree with society’s beliefs. Christopher McCandless is a tragic hero because he has nobility. He was born into a privileged family. He graduated from Emory University, when he graduated he graduated with $25,000. “ It was pretty obvious he didn’t get along with his family, but he never said much about any of them except Carine, his little sister”(pg 63). He had a family that loved him especially his sister but he didn’t want that life anymore. Chris gave up everything he had to live in the wild. "So many people live within unhappy circumstances & yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of Security, Conformity and Conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind. But in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit of a man than a secure future...." ( pg 58). Christopher’s hermartia was that he became antisocial. He did not

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