was Chris McCandless' death a "foolish, pointless death"? did he lack "the requisite humility" to go into the wild?
Well, I'd hate to call anyone's death foolish or pointless. Chris McCandless died while following his personal beliefs about self-reliance, simple truths, and nature. He claimed to love living so far away from people, and if this is the case then his death was definitely not pointless. If you die for what you believe in, then I respect that. Near the end, though, he spoke of loneliness but seemed too headstrong to return to civilization; if he really did stay out in the wild out of stubborness while he was lonely, miserable, and hungry, then his death was foolish indeed.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case; Chris never seemed like he type of apologize, forgive, or forget.
Chris did lack the "requisite humility" to go on his journey. Yes, he asked for hunting and survival tips from some more experienced outdoorsmen, but Chris had always seen himself as more in tune with nature than others. He seriously thought he could go from this pampered, college-educated young adult to a rugged woodsman living by himself. His failed endeavor with the moose carcass made this point obvious. Additionally, he held contempt for most of society's practices, as if he were more enlightened than the rest of us; maybe if Chris had brought some other individuals with him, we wouldn't be discussing his lamentable death.
- jc17
I agree with all of your points. Chris did die doing something he loved and that is always honorable. However, it is true that he lacked "requisite" humility in his journey because he wasn't prepared for the wild and was constantly needing help. He was taking a large step in going from a city boy to being a rugged outdoorsman.
ReplyDeleteEverything you said is true. I believe Chris would rather die the he did than unhappily in society. He died doing what he wanted to do with his life. Chris expected his life in the wild to be eaiser than it turned out to be. It is a good thing that he found the "magic bus" or else he wouldn't of lasted very long. He wasn't fully prepared for living out in the wild.
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