Death of an innocent?

Christopher McCandless, AKA Alex Supertramp died alone in the woods in the summer of 1992 from presumably starving to death. The story that Jon Krakauer leaves the door open for the reader to decide whether to glorify Mr. McCandless or to condemn him for his actions. McCandless could be revered for being so strong willed and unlike other college students, or at least people who have just recently completed college, but the truth is that he never really did anything that many college students wouldn't do given the opportunity. Of course, no one wants to die doing what he did, but the reality is that he probably didn't plan on dying, in fact, I firmly believe that he didn't think it was possible for him to die until it was too late.

Many college students live the life that McCandless was trying to avoid by being so boldly anti-establishment, but the reality of college life is that while the fraternity/sorority student is the first image that pops into one's head when recalling college life, the next step of thought brings to mind images of people just like Chris. As the author points out, Chris's friend, Wayne Westerberg, admits that what might have hurt Chris is that “maybe what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking.” This is too typical of many college students. Fortunately, most aren't actually as ambitious as Chris was and they don't actually live the life that they glorify, and for those that do, most are lucky enough to avoid death. It is unfortunate that Chris ended up dying by living the life that he found so noble, but the personality that drove him certainly encompassed an inherent risk. During the article, the author Krakauer compares himself at 23 to Chris. He acknowledges that he too didn't respect death properly. His desire for adventure outweighed his fear of death. This is very common among young people. Their inexperience leads them to forget that death is final, and for people of Chris's ilk, who are so convinced that they are invincible in some fashion, don't heed the advice of those more knowledgeable than themselves.

The first few paragraphs of the story involve Chris hitching a ride from James Gallien, who offers advice to Chris and tries to help Chris avoid a situation that might kill him. Chris stubbornly refuses the help. This alone takes Chris out of the realm of wise people. Most people, even those that fancy themselves experts, are wise enough to listen to others who give them advice. This isn't to say that everyone listens to everyone, but Chris behaved like most college students when he refused to admit to himself that he was inexperienced in the Alaskan wilderness. Not only that, but he refused to recognize someone who very clearly knew more about what he was getting into that Chris himself. This bullheadedness is something that binds Chris to other youths. Most people with life experience will tell you that recognizing good advice is part of maturity. Chris fails to break the mold of a college student when he listens to no one.

Chris was an adventurer in every sense. He took great risks and relished the reward of surviving those risks. One thing that Chris didn't grasp until it was too late was that risk one's life is a type of risk that cannot be taken lightly, because failure means that your ability to try again is gone. Most college students who fit the stereotype that Chris himself typified don't realize how fragile life is. They haven't lived long enough to realize how death is something more than an inconvenience. Chris probably failed to realize the impact that his death would have on others as Krakauer showed. This short-sightedness is something that keeps Chris from being more than just another college student. Krakauer tries to prove that Chris was more than just your common thrill-seeking college student who was looking for an epiphany, but the reality is that he is just that. Had he lived, there would be nothing extraordinary about his story that would be any different than the ones that many other people experience during their late college years. The largest proof of Chris's conformity to the mold is in his note which he posted to the bus door. The seriousness of the note hints that Chris never really understood the gravity of the situation that he was in until it was too late. This lack of understanding makes Chris nothing more to the world than just another college student who was unfortunate enough to get lost in the wild.

All references were taken from Death of an Innocent by Jon Krakauer