Into the Wild

Monday October 4th, 2010
(Published rather late)

Today in my English class we finished discussing the novel "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. For those who are unfamiliar with the novel, it is a nonfiction book based on the life of Christopher McCandless. Following his college graduation he left home for two years where he "leather-tramped" across the country. Eventually he made his way to Alaska, where his overconfidence led him to an undesired death. Although many argue that he was crazy or possessed some sort of mental illness, that was never proven.

The irony of his story is that before leaving he donated all of his savings to OXFAM, an organization which supports ending hunger, yet he starved to death. McCandless was one who cared about the world around him. In college he took classes specifically targeted at worldly issues. In my opinion, he seemed to deeply care for humanity, and he took interest in Africa's current issues.

Why I bring this book up is actually because of the movie "Into the Wild." Although I think the book was better, the movie brought his hardships in Alaska to life. Having watched McCandless starve to death brought so many thoughts to life. Some people spend all their lives starving themselves to nothingness for personal satisfaction, where a man, not only limited to McCandless, suffered and perished from undesirably starving himself to nothing. Just watching him shrink really hit me to the core, and influenced my thinking towards that topic. There was a time when I wasn't eating, and at the time I really didn't notice it but it was there. Just having experienced something like that made McCandless' death hit home.

The other day my friend told me of her friend. Her friend and I are acquaintances, but barely at that. She told me that she had stopped eating to shrink back to her "normal" size. Whenever did a normal size become existent? Nevertheless, that brought me pain. She's so beautiful without being a size 0. What's a size? I feel sizes should be measured like age should be. Age shouldn't be a number, but measured by experience. Although clothing sizes and experience don't mesh, I wish it was seen as what feels good and what fits well instead of that "perfect" size.

Anyways, I completely recommend the book. I found it very interesting and well-written. The book, unlike the movie, presents Krakauer's personal experience in the Alaskan wild which proved to be also very interesting. What made me truly like this novel was not only the presentation, but the accounts from the people McCandless had met. Whether or not he realized it, he changed so many people's ideas and lives with his visits. Sometimes I think that's what many of strive for; to make a change in someone or in a group of people, yet he did effortlessly. Food for thought: what changes an opinion; the one who overstates their reasons and over tries and overburdens the situation or the one who honestly presents their facts, whether that be lazily or brilliantly?

With Love,
Becca