Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

Although this memoir was first published a decade ago, with Sean Penn’s recent acclaimed movie version out in theaters, I’m seeing a resurgence of interest in this book.

It is excellently written. The main character, Christopher McCandless, is three-dimensional and completely believable. Jon Krakauer inserts himself as a character into the book and it is a nicely placed and logical addition.

But I still threw the book across the room in discuss.

McCandless eschews his family’s money and his privileged upbringing, to give away his car, abandon his possessions, burn his money and hitchhike across America. His eventual goal is spend a winter alone in Alaska.

At every turn, McCandless meets people who accept him, who admire his actions, who want to take him into their hearts and lives. The most memorable is an old man, completely family-less, who gives McCandless food and lodging. He spends many weeks with him, exchanging stories and dreams, and growing close. Eventually, the old man asks McCandless to be his “Grandson.”

And McCandless rejects him. Rejects them all. Each and every one, in the name of “fulfilling” himself. His goal is to travel by himself, because being all alone is the only way he can prove the strength of his character. I believe the phrases “getting back to nature,” “rejecting The Man,” and “keeping it real” might have been bandied about.

McCandless eventually makes it to Alaska. And eventually freezes to death after running out of food, unprepared for the realities of the harsh winter.

If he were a fictional character, the term “hubris” would have been hung on McCandless’s shoulders and his tragic end would have been part of an overall life lesson. I have to bite back my tongue when I see people reading this book on the subway or notice it being discussed on message boards. “Stop,” I want to say. “This isn’t a man to be admired, but pitied.” Human kindness should be embraced, not ran from. Society is something to contribute to, not disavow. If there are wrongs, fight to right them. Don’t just give up on the game. No new way of living should actually keep you from being alive.

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