Into The Wild - Chandler Broadbent
Into The Wild Essay
As adolescents are minds are so malleable and impressionable that we
often believe everything we are told to be the truth.
Twenty-four-year-old Christopher McCandless was the exception. He
was a strong- willed adventurer who disappeared after graduating
college to go on a backpacking trip throughout America, and ended in
Alaska. McCandless wanted to prove that your life does not require
road maps and plans but that one could be perfectly happy as a free
man with just the clothes on his back. After hearing the story of
McCandless I was in awe of how a man could give up every penny he
had to live as one with nature. Although he ended up dying in the
Alaskan interior, his legacy lives on as a pioneer of the blank
spots on the map. He is a true inspiration to me and I find it so
heartbreaking that he did not have the opportunity to live to share
his story today.
What I find so remarkable about Chris McCandless’ story is that
ironically he saw his wealth, possessions and upbringing as road
blocks in his search for the truth in life. He comes to the early
realization that all people want is success and power and that these
desires only corrupt us into living shallow, false lives. Not only
did this young man refuse to accept the new car his parents offered
him at his college graduation, but he also donated his $25,000 life
savings to the OXFAM charity, proving his contempt for materialistic
things such as money that drive people mad. Chris has inspired a
desire in me to long for more than success and wealth, but for depth
and spiritual satisfaction that will always fulfill me. McCandless
often quoted his favorite author Thoreau when he said, “Rather than
love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” I think this is
something that McCandles deeply believed in, to live a happy and
more importantly an honest life and I long for the same.
Life in the 21st century has turned into people losing the deep
connections they once had with the outdoors and each other, and our
lives have become selfish and reserved. McCandless was a huge
advocate for valuing the relationships he had with people. He always
had the time to talk but more importantly the time to listen. This
young man is also an example of how we need to fall in love with
nature again. He was so captivated by scenic views, terrain, and
wildlife and you do not see that kind of love anymore today. One of
my close friends said to me that the happiest moment in his life was
when he was standing at the top of a mountain that had never been
climbed. I am sure that Christopher McCandless had countless “top of
the mountain moments” and thanks to him I long for meaningful
relationships not just with people but also with my beautiful
surroundings.
Chandler Broadbent
college4chan@gmail.com
