TRANSCENDENTALISM

Henry David Thoreau,has been an inspiration to McCandless.Thoreau believed that nature was how one could truly discovers ones self.Thoreau's "ktaadn"says how his body feels strange to him,and he was afraid of other bodies.McCandless felt the same way ,felt his body wasn't meant for a society.This connection made Chris go Into the wild and find his true self.

SETTING

The setting takes many places such as Alaska,Arizona,Mexico,Virginia,South Dakota.

 

THEMES

NON MATERIALISTIC-

Chris rejects American materalism leaves his parents and gives away his money.Chris was always about what he needed not what he wanted.His parents were always giving him gifts ,which did  not appease him.






CONFIDENCE-

Confidence is a major role that pushes chris into living in alaska and survive by a ten pound bag of rice;and his remignton rifle,ammunition rounds,books,a guide to edible plants.






IMPORTANCE OF NATURE-
Chris mentioned alot of times his goal to people he encountered on his way to Alaska and live off the land for a few months.A place free of the evils of modern society.






NONCONFORMITY-

Chris doesn't like the government and their rules,and how his parents were always giving him gifts which did not appease him.likewise hiprocisy of his parents lifesyle,the tryanny of their conditional love.

CHARACTERS

CHRIS McCANDLESS/ALEX SUPERTRAMP-

    Raised in upper middle class of Annandale,Virginia.Graduated from Emory University,Donated his money to charity called "OXFAM".A charity that is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.Later died by starvation in the wilderness.

WALT McCANDLESS-Chris father,is a aerospace engineer who designs advanced radar systems for the space shuttle.later years,Chris had gotten mad because of finding out that he had a child with his first wife.This discovery caused him to hold a lot of bitterness towards his father, and could have played a factor in his views about society.









BILLIE McCANDLESS-



Chris mother,Billie McCandless worked as a secretary at Hughes Aircraft,and later assisted her husband with his successful home-based consulting company in Annandale,virginia.



CARINE McCANDLESS-



Chris younger sister,



WAYNE WESTERBERG-
(on the left)
Owner of a grain elevator;gave employment to Chris numerous times in Carthage,South Dakota.He became very fond of Chris.


RONALD FRANTZ-


Ronald franz had lost his wife and only son in a car accident.Chris and ronald devolped a friendship
and spent time together.Franz who was a leatherworker,instructed chris in the craft.He also proposed to chris to adopt him,now that he was the last of his generation.

Christopher Johnson McCandless

A Novel ,and based on a true story about a young man from a well to do east coast family decided to begin a new life for himself.Giving away twenty four thousand dollars,abandoning his car,burning his cash in his wallet.To start a new life in the wild,into the wilderness north of Mt.Mckinely.Four months later,his decomposed body was found by a Anchorage couple.