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Into the wild interpretation

SpinbrettSpinbrett Posts: 251
edited February 2008 in The Porch
I havent had time to read the book but many people here say its just about a spoiled, rich kid that cant take the stresses of life so he runs away from it. Is this true, then what is so big about this book/movie? Shouldnt he "man up" and learn that we all have stresses, and that we dont have to run to Alaska to avoid them? I hear much more nagativity about this story than anything positive. What do you think?
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  • im an earim an ear Posts: 245
    I think the message of Into the Wild/McCandless is to get outside of your comfort zone and experience life in its purest form...in nature. McCandless had no desire to live in conventional society, especially considering his rough relationship with his father, so he decided to get away and find himself in the wilderness. The sad reality he may or may not have discovered is that "happiness is only meaninglful when shared." Nevertheless, he was a living example of someone who literally blazed his own trail and lived life to the fullest.

    People who say he was just a spoiled or foolish kid, I don't think get the point of his story.
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  • wolfbearwolfbear Posts: 3,965
    i'm_an_ear wrote:
    I think the message of Into the Wild/McCandless is to get outside of your comfort zone and experience life in its purest form...in nature. McCandless had no desire to live in conventional society, especially considering his rough relationship with his father, so he decided to get away and find himself in the wilderness. The sad reality he may or may not have discovered is that "happiness is only meaninglful when shared." Nevertheless, he was a living example of someone who literally blazed his own trail and lived life to the fullest.

    People who say he was just a spoiled or foolish kid, I don't think get the point of his story.
    I agree with you. It was about a young person who was disenfranchised and unhappy with society and his life as it was and set out to find some meaning or happiness in his life. People do it all the time, his just happened to become famous. He was a smart kid, but going into wilderness , even prepared is a gamble. :)
    "I'd rather be with an animal." "Those that can be trusted can change their mind." "The in between is mine." "If I don't lose control, explore and not explode, a preternatural other plane with the power to maintain." "Yeh this is living." "Life is what you make it."
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    the big deal is that this book was a huge bestseller as a book published in 96 by Krakauer. It was a hit way before it was even considered for a movie. And of course if you get Sean Penn, who is one of the best actors around to direct, and you get Emile Hirsch one of the best actors of our generation, along with Catherine Keener, Jena Malone, Kristin Stewart, hal Holbrook too, you have a hell of a movie. And lets not forget ed's soundscapes. Or add onto that, the fact that the movie wasnt filmed on some hollywood soundstage. Sean went to Alaska and filmed. The scenery in the movie is drop dead gorgeous.

    Add onto that the fact that Sean penn brought out the best in the actors. Emile Hirsh lost a ton of weight for the role, and actually did the kayaking/canoeing scene without a stunt double. He actually did some hiking for the film.

    As far as why people responded to the film and the book and to Chris Mccandless the main character, I think trying to find onesself is the quintessential american experience. Its uniquely us. And I think many people would love to do what Chris did, and dont have the guts. The guy lived to his early 20's and did more living that most people do in their entire lives.

    Its the same reason why On the Road, and Dharma Bums and any other travel, road trip book or movie becomes a classic. Its a desire people have.

    Chris Mccandless was a hero. he dared to dream and act.

    Its the most inspiring film I have ever seen. Its one of the films you leave the theater thinking you can walk on water or float or whatever.

    The idea is to live life to the fullest, to not waste your life doing meaningless crap, to not fill it up doing things you hate, but to do things you love.

    I have rarely identified so strongly and completely with a character

    It was a shame it wasnt nominated for best picture

    Ed was saying, or maybe it was Sean, that we dont have rites of passage anymore. That we have to make them ourselves. And Chris Mccandless was one of the few who made it a reality.

    He is a hero
  • alex_scalex_sc Posts: 116
    What I found most meaningful was not the depiction of McCandless's journey, but Krakauer's musings on solitude and the quotes from Anthony Storr's book "Solitude: A Return to Self."

    Krakauer, and Storr, write about how our society and culture stress the importance of interpersonal relationships, and how introverts are considered somehow damaged or broken for not depending on other people for validation, meaning, etc. That's what resonated for me...in a nutshell, it made me feel like I was okay like I am. There are others out there making their own paths, often alone, and they're perfectly fine. You can be independent, confident in your sense of self, and happy (gasp!) without a pack of people around you.

    Sounds silly, but it took reading Into the Wild and parts of Storr's book (it's a little dense) to become more comfortable with that. I've always been content on my own, but lately feel like casual friends and even family are disappointed or worried when I go long spells without going through the proper "Hey let's all make sure we have lots of happy happy interpersonal relationship time!!!" motions.

    Of course, maybe they're worried I'm headed for Alaska with a bag of rice and a ratty sleeping bag. :)
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  • U R A Crazy BreedU R A Crazy Breed Posts: 8,370
    Anyone who thinks he was a "rich kid trying to escape reality" couldn't be more wrong.
    He was escaping this "modern prison" we have erected for ourselves and taking it back to the roots of man,coinciding with nature and living on the bounty that god has provided for us.
    He just wasn't skilled enough to survive that way.Once long ago we all were,but now most of us are dependent upon the structure of our modern society to survive.
  • Solat13Solat13 Posts: 6,996
    I just find it ironic that me and a bunch of others are part of the system that Chris McCandless never wanted to be a part of yet are flying across the country to see a concert(s) in which the majority of the music will have been inspired by his life.

    I'm not sure if Chris would be happy that his message has gotten out or disgusted by the fact that we'll be flying in planes and staying in cushy hotels and by doing so will have gone against all his ideals.
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  • AmentsChickAmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    Spinbrett wrote:
    I havent had time to read the book but many people here say its just about a spoiled, rich kid that cant take the stresses of life so he runs away from it. Is this true, then what is so big about this book/movie? Shouldnt he "man up" and learn that we all have stresses, and that we dont have to run to Alaska to avoid them? I hear much more nagativity about this story than anything positive. What do you think?

    Just read the book. You'll be glad you did. :D
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • blondieblue227blondieblue227 Posts: 4,509
    i wish all the 'into the wild' talk was on one thread. :(
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    Spinbrett wrote:
    I havent had time to read the book but many people here say its just about a spoiled, rich kid that cant take the stresses of life so he runs away from it. Is this true, then what is so big about this book/movie? Shouldnt he "man up" and learn that we all have stresses, and that we dont have to run to Alaska to avoid them? I hear much more nagativity about this story than anything positive. What do you think?

    Most of the people saying he was a spoiled rich kid are just repeating what others have said. I doubt they have actually read the book. How many spoiled rich kids give all their money away and refuse a new car? Doesn't add up...
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  • this is not for youthis is not for you Posts: 240
    the message is that life shouldnt resolve around materialistic needs when the beauty of life is all around us in nature n shit

    something like that....
  • OpenOpen Posts: 792
    Spinbrett wrote:
    I havent had time to read the book but many people here say its just about a spoiled, rich kid that cant take the stresses of life so he runs away from it. Is this true, then what is so big about this book/movie? Shouldnt he "man up" and learn that we all have stresses, and that we dont have to run to Alaska to avoid them? I hear much more nagativity about this story than anything positive. What do you think?

    It was about "measuring yourself"; to step outside your comfort zone, society's rules and try to survive nature's rules.
  • AmentsChickAmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    Open wrote:
    It was about "measuring yourself"; to step outside your comfort zone, society's rules and try to survive nature's rules.

    Well said!
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • tie-dye ladytie-dye lady Posts: 305
    ...I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and 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 within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun... ~ Chris McCandless, letter to Ron Franz
    Nothing divine dies. All good is eternally reproductive. The beauty of nature reforms itself in the mind, and not for barren contemplation, but for new creation. ~ Nature, Emerson
  • vedderfan10vedderfan10 Posts: 2,497
    radiohead33 wrote:



    Chris Mccandless was a hero. he dared to dream and act.

    Its the most inspiring film I have ever seen.
    I have rarely identified so strongly and completely with a character



    He is a hero

    Here -- email this guy's family and tell them what a "hero" their son is...

    http://www.gavinritchie.com/

    This guy is missing from my community...and I have no idea if he's read into the wild or saw the movie or whatever...the community is PLASTERED with photos of this guy and everytime I see him, I think, well, I don't really know what I think. It's a damn shame. A friend of mine who knows him said that he read the book and "pulled a McCandless". Great. Does this make HIM a hero?
    be philanthropic
  • ONCE DEVIDEDONCE DEVIDED Posts: 1,131
    Vedderfan10 wrote:
    Here -- email this guy's family and tell them what a "hero" their son is...

    http://www.gavinritchie.com/

    This guy is missing from my community...and I have no idea if he's read into the wild or saw the movie or whatever...the community is PLASTERED with photos of this guy and everytime I see him, I think, well, I don't really know what I think. It's a damn shame. A friend of mine who knows him said that he read the book and "pulled a McCandless". Great. Does this make HIM a hero?

    If he made the decision to walk away and is an adult. I reckon he should be left to his own devices. we all make our own decisions and they should be respected.
    If he had joined the military or gone to the big smoke to earn big dollars he would be respected, but because he ( did a CM) its a shame??
    I do hope he contacts his friends and family to ease there worry. but the fact is a lot of people run away for a lot less reasons.
    Hell I ran away from my own father for ten years, the thing is was we lived in the same town. I just cut him out of my life. I needed to - to find ME
    AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
  • BinFrogBinFrog Posts: 7,309
    i'm_an_ear wrote:
    People who say he was just a spoiled or foolish kid, I don't think get the point of his story.


    That's the beauty of the story. You can argue either side and be right.

    Was he foolish? Absolutely. If you are going to try and live in the Alaskan wilderness for a while, you can't half ass it. I realize his whole idealistic viewpoint was to screw convention and just live for the moment outside of all confines, butdid he have to completely abandon his family, including his sister who he adored, in order to "find himself"? We've all had thoughts about just leaving everything behind and going on a life adventure. But you can't romanticize plain stupidity. He went on a cross-country journey without telling anyone where he was going. I have no problem with that. I think the Alaskan part of his story just shows him going beyond being idealistic to being naive and reckless. He lacked experienced with survival skills in harsh conditions, and it came back to ultimately prove his demise.

    But...

    Is there a part of me that is jealous of the rest of his adventure? Absolutely. There are definitely times I would love to just leave everything behind and live for the moment. Who amongst us can't say that? But in no way could I ever conceive doing that and breaking off complete contact with my parents, girlfriend, friends, sister or niece & nephew. I see it as impossible to not call him selfish. He was all about bucking convention and leaving materialism behind. All the more power to him. But in the end he ended up looking like a spoiled little kid who wanted to piss off mommy and daddy.

    I guarantee he had all the intentions of getting back home eventually.
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  • RicsardRicsard Posts: 1,943
    Into The Wild (the book) is about a dude who just cannot find comfort in this world;)...His situation is lot more complicated than that but he seems to try to find his beliefs outside the society in nature and challenge himself. It's somehow similar to Jean Jacques Rousseau's thoughts about a manfree nature which is simply untouched and innocent by civilization but there are some references to Lev Tolstoj's messianistic philosophy.
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  • vedderfan10vedderfan10 Posts: 2,497
    ONCE DEVIDED wrote:
    If he made the decision to walk away and is an adult. I reckon he should be left to his own devices. we all make our own decisions and they should be respected.
    If he had joined the military or gone to the big smoke to earn big dollars he would be respected, but because he ( did a CM) its a shame??
    I do hope he contacts his friends and family to ease there worry. but the fact is a lot of people run away for a lot less reasons.
    Hell I ran away from my own father for ten years, the thing is was we lived in the same town. I just cut him out of my life. I needed to - to find ME

    Hey, I agree we all need to find ourselves...but not having the common decency to contact your family or friends, that's what's the shame. And if he ran off to join the military, yeah, that would be a shame too.

    I doubt there's anyone on this board who could run off into the wilderness without having a satellite internet connection so they could keep in touch with people. Most of us have an innate need to SHARE our experiences...

    Whatever. I just don't think CM was a hero. If you do, that's your bag...
    be philanthropic
  • pjalive21pjalive21 Posts: 2,818
    the thing that gets me is that it took all he went thru just to realize that "happiness is bet if shared"
  • ONCE DEVIDEDONCE DEVIDED Posts: 1,131
    Vedderfan10 wrote:
    Hey, I agree we all need to find ourselves...but not having the common decency to contact your family or friends, that's what's the shame. And if he ran off to join the military, yeah, that would be a shame too.

    I doubt there's anyone on this board who could run off into the wilderness without having a satellite internet connection so they could keep in touch with people. Most of us have an innate need to SHARE our experiences...

    Whatever. I just don't think CM was a hero. If you do, that's your bag...

    No I dont think he was a hero. he just had a journey he had to travel to find himself and his place. and that should be respected. I certainly feel for the family left behind. it is very selfish not to ease their burden of worry
    AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
  • blondieblue227blondieblue227 Posts: 4,509
    ONCE DEVIDED wrote:
    No I dont think he was a hero. he just had a journey he had to travel to find himself and his place. and that should be respected. I certainly feel for the family left behind. it is very selfish not to ease their burden of worry

    Burden? Maybe they deserved to be burdened after what they did to Chris.
    his parents were selfish for doing that to him.

    and maybe he would've never took the trip if they hadn't done that to him. sounds to me he was very scarred by it. and why shouldn't he be?
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

  • Yellow LedbellyYellow Ledbelly Posts: 3,749
    In no way do I see him as a hero. I admire him for having the guts to walk away and do whatever the hell he wanted to do and there is a lot of deep meaning in the movie, but a hero....no.
    All I have to do is revel in the everyday....then do it again tomorrow

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  • Come Back in BlackCome Back in Black Posts: 659
    I find that in general when people say they need to "find themselves" it is just an excuse to flake out on their responsibilities. I can't admire that.

    Mommy I want to take a year off school and find myself. Pussy

    Mommy I want to take a year between college and working to travel europe to find myself. How is this sacrafice? Bullshit.

    Mommy I can't relate to people so I am going to romantasize the idea of being alone and go off into nature for an adventure!
    Newsflash..... Our society isn't a prison... From the moment our race began in the jungle we have been working to get the fuck out.
  • LloydChristmasLloydChristmas Posts: 224
    Come Back in Black wrote:
    I find that in general when people say they need to "find themselves" it is just an excuse to flake out on their responsibilities. I can't admire that.

    Mommy I want to take a year off school and find myself. Pussy

    Mommy I want to take a year between college and working to travel europe to find myself. How is this sacrafice? Bullshit.

    Mommy I can't relate to people so I am going to romantasize the idea of being alone and go off into nature for an adventure!
    Newsflash..... Our society isn't a prison... From the moment our race began in the jungle we have been working to get the fuck out.

    Well said....
  • LloydChristmasLloydChristmas Posts: 224
    Yellow Ledbelly wrote:
    In no way do I see him as a hero. I admire him for having the guts to walk away and do whatever the hell he wanted to do and there is a lot of deep meaning in the movie, but a hero....no.


    I agree. I admire him but a hero? When the movie was over I kinda shook my head...I made some dumb choices but that really beats them.
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