Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Here you can discuss anything related to Christopher McCandless.
MaryEE
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:36 pm

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby MaryEE » Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:31 pm

I think he was a hero. I would never have the courage to do what he did in order to prove something. It must have been so hard knowing that nothing in your life would ever be the same and that everything you know would become everything you once knew. He had to start all over in a place where he was unsure of and was barely prepared. That takes serious courage

firstwave50
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:13 pm

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby firstwave50 » Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:22 pm

Finally saw the movie last night. I think Chris was a fool because of his youth. He thought he was invincible. He was totally unprepared for wilderness life in Alaska. He didn't bring the proper supplies, enough food, did he even have any rope? I was thinking if he had a strong rope or cable and a bow and arrow he might have been able to rig some sort of line to use to cross the river in the end. Even though he was an avid reader it didn't appear he had any knowledge of weather conditions/cycles in Alaska. Hence...he left too late and got stuck by the river. When people are young they want to explore the world with little thought of the people they leave behind or the hearts they break. Unfortunately he realized how important these things were to him right before he died. What a sad, sad story. Kind of reminds me of the 127 hours movie/story...guy was really unprepared in that one too.

SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby SteveSalmon » Mon Feb 13, 2017 4:39 am

Firstwave50,

I'd like to suggest you read the book. The movie was great, but, it's the somewhat Hollywood version of Chris' story. You'll get a better idea of just how well Chris was prepared. This was not his first trip to Alaska. He had a gun. And NO ONE hikes with cables to cross rivers in their pack. The movie leads some to believe that he was there in the winter too which isn't true. He got there in the beginning of Alaskans call "Breakup".

Long before Alaska, Chris made a cave in somewhere in California his home for many months. You don't live in a cave for months and not earn some survival skill creds. He'd also done plenty of traveling on his own and Jon Krakauer's book will illustrate just how much he did.

In his end, Chris died living and that to me is far from a sad story really.

~Steve Salmon

Dizznmo
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:55 am

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby Dizznmo » Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:29 am

I can completely identify with Chris and his need to escape his family, what he did on many levels was very rave but also very cowardly. I want to be him and be able to be that brace especially at my age now of 46 and after losing my brother, Chris and not knowing how to go on without my brother who always promised me I would never have to be afraid, he would always take care of me. I was the adventurous one, I did and my brother read but he lost his life in alcohol which I have had the same problem as he did but we both had different journeys. In the end I let my brother down and will forever regret it but now he is gone and I feel completely alone in this world without him, just like Chris and his sister me and my brother were the same in being the only ones in our world who understood each other completely. We were both adopted and not biological siblings but we were brother and sister completely and knew each other like no other person in our lives could ever get! This is the main problem I have in calling Chris not my brother but Chris McCandless a coward, he was obviously brave in facing the wild but a complete coward in facing the emotions of life and sadly sometimes facing death in the wild is easier than dealing with family and society and believe me, I have thought many times of doing just as he did, my fear of the wild has been in part of what has kept me from doing it but mostly it was my conscience and not being able to face the guilt of what I knew it would put my parents through. After losing my brother I was angry and felt betrayed that I was left alone to deal with our parents and now how could I do that to them after they lost one child but my brother died accidentally, he didn't put us through waiting and wondering, a little because he was very sick in his alcoholism, a disease I also have but seem to be able to manage better than he did but he never chose to just leave without saying anything. Chris McCcandle was horrible for what he did to his family especially to his sister. It was a selfish journey, not one of exploration but of escape from facing the things he couldn't handle with his family. I want to love him but what he did to his parents, especially his mom and his sister was just so wrong on so many levels! He could have gone on his journey and even left them out but to not give them any sort of solace, to let them know he was ok, or why he felt he had to do this was cowardice. He was wrong to do that to a family that may not have been perfect but who seemed to love him, especially his sister, what he did to his sister was cruel and to me makes his fear outweigh his bravery. It makes me so sad for him but especially for his sister, his mother and his dad who have to live with an ungolfly amount of pain through a life he refused to face.

Dizznmo
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:55 am

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby Dizznmo » Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:51 am

I really want to enjoy his journey but what he put his family through in order to have is freedom just makes it wrong. He got his freedom by putting his family in a jail of torment, pain and worry, that makes his journey of freedom, enlightenment and courage not so courageous and down right selfish. Or maybe I am the one without courage because the love and guilt I would feel keep me from doing what I wish I had the courage to do just like him. I won't say that what he did wasn't brave, it was but just a trade, bravery against the elements to keep from facing the reality of family and society, not sure which is worse or better but he should have without a doubt sent something to his sister and mother to give them some sense of peace while he went out on his journey to find himself!

gypsyfree122
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Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 2:07 pm

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby gypsyfree122 » Fri Apr 28, 2017 2:30 pm

I believe chris was a hero not because he survived for years and not because he was reckless but because he was in search of the true meaning of life and to me that is the most important thing!

maarilynmaanson
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Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2017 8:34 pm

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby maarilynmaanson » Thu Dec 14, 2017 8:47 pm

After learning about Chris's story, I was moved by his journey. I've read many cynical reviews and comments on his story. Many people claim he was selfish, which is baffling.
People are encouraged to "follow their dreams" or to "turn your dreams into reality," and Chris did just that. He decided that he would not allow anything - including emotional relationships he had with those he cared about - to prevent him from reaching out and grabbing his dream of making it to Alaska, to live off the land.
I admire that he was able to put his life behind him and solely focus on his desires. He had grown up as a good student, and he was constantly pleasing other people (his parents, for instance). This time, though, it was about following [i]his[i] heart. That is not selfish; it's courageous. One review that I read said he was not a hero because he ignored his problems and hid from them, essentially.
That makes me question: What exactly defines a hero? In my definition, Chris McCandless is a hero because he followed his dreams and lived with passion. In others' definitions, they may not find that to be heroic.
To conclude, Chris did not let others stop him, which is what I admire. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it. Although he died in the end, he came out as a victor because he accomplished his goal. He is a timeless hero that will continue to draw others into his fascinating story.

dejg82
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed May 09, 2018 3:52 am

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby dejg82 » Wed May 09, 2018 4:08 am

11duck11 wrote:This goes out to the original poster
I'm not even sure you watched the movie or read up on the subject at hand at all, and if you did, you surely didn't understand it. I didn't bother reading through your entire essay, which was obviously written by an educated person, but perhaps a fool? You are the type of person that Alexander was trying to get away from. You had asked "Did he do what a human was supposed to do?" (not an exact quote but pretty close), who are you to ask a question like that? Life is about what you want to do and not what you see the average person doing. He wanted to escape and be one with nature, the way we were put on this planet. If anything, Alexander was doing what humans are supposed to do, explore, be submersed in nature, find his true self and be free, does that sound foolish to you? Also I wanted to add on to what you said about him taking care of his parents, they were at most 60 years of age and he only intended on being out there for a few years, and he would have returned. He could have easily made it back with ample time to take care of his parents, not to mention he had a more than adequate sister.


The original poster comes from a different culture, different religious background. The OP is from Iraq. He understands Chris’s life within the parameters he has been taught all his life. I think that refuting his point of view has to come from the fact I mentioned in my first sentence, but you are instead attacking him and practically telling him he “didn’t understand”. Two different world views. I think Chris was far from being a fool, he was deeply spiritual. But I’m a Westener, and probably other Westeners, like you, share my opinion. But Herish is not a Westener, and in the context of his culture, he thinks Chris was a “fool”. I don’t share his point of view, but I respect it. For people who practice Islam, family, no matter how dysfunctional, is above everything else, and I know this because I have friends who are Muslim.

jen2wynn
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:54 am

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby jen2wynn » Sun Jul 08, 2018 9:11 am

I did not read the book but saw the movie. I know that the movie is never as good as the book. When I saw the movie, I felt so sad for Chris and was moved by his experience. I decided to do a little digging on the internet and found out a lot more about Chris’ story which changed how I felt completely.

To the question “was Chris a hero or a fool?” I am not going to judge. What I do think Chris’ real story shows is that people can do some incredibly stupid things that put their life and others at risk. People romanticize about going on wilderness adventures without any sort of preparation or knowledge and believe (I suppose) that they will figure it out as they go. These type of scenarios rarely end well. I just watched another movie called “Jungle” about a group of men in the Amazon Rainforest. Two died and two amazingly survived. There are hundreds of stories just like these that once again prove how dumb and arrogant people can be.

I guess what I hope others will learn from Chris’ adventure is that it is imperative to know what you are getting yourself into realistically. If you want an adventure in the wilderness, fine. Just be prepared and knowledgeable. Where selfishness comes in is that most of the time, search parties are sent out to rescue these people. This costs money and also risks the lives of the people who are in the search party. It is one thing if a disaster happens (ie, plane crash, boat sinks, etc.) and people are forced into life threatening survival situations where search parties are sent out and another when someone goes off on their adventure without any realistic preparations and forces others to pay for their misadventure. To me, that is selfishness in the highest sense of the word.

For people who wish to explore the unknown, at least learn how to survive in the wild before you embark on such an adventure. Even then, you still may perish…….any expert will tell you that.

Jav
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2023 8:11 am

Re: Was Chris a hero or a fool?

Postby Jav » Tue Apr 18, 2023 8:12 am

Trooly hero :twisted: :P


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