by Genevieve Georget

Created on: October 15, 2008

In 1990, Chris McCandless told his parents that he was taking a road trip out to California to visit some friends. In September of 2002, his body was found in the Alaskan wilderness by two moose hunters. Somewhere between leaving home in 1990 and leaving this world in 1992, McCandless changed his name, cut all ties with his family, donated his life savings and died alone on the edge of the earth. He was 24 years old when he died.

Many years later, author and adventure writer, Jon Krakauer wrote the book Into the Wild, an attempt to backtrack and trace some of McCandless' steps as he evolved from a graduate of a wealthy suburban family to a lone traveler determined to sever all association with the world he once knew. Most recently, Sean Penn directed the movie.

From the moment I first heard this story, I've been curious to know what happened to him? What happens to someone to make them turn their back on everything and everyone they know to live in isolation? Was it merely a desire to be rebellious or a sincere need to make the world stop turning, if even momentarily?

Both the book and the movie spend a great deal of time reflecting on the troubled past that McCandless had experienced as a child. Unresolved issues with parents is something I know all too well as both my own parents and myself have had to handle our own challenges along the way and learn the art of forgiveness in order to move ahead with life.

To see the movie gave me a visual of the story I had heard so much about and left a very powerful impression on me. All this time, I had mentally formed my own image of what McCandless was like, and while the movie is most certainly not entirely accurate either, it did bring to life a story that was clearly meant to be told.

I did however find myself struggling with the ability to accept McCandless' choices. To leave everything and everybody to isolate himself troubles me a great deal. Many people believe that
McCandless simply held humanity to a higher moral standard and when he saw that expectation crumble before his eyes, he felt distance between him and society was the only way to mend the disappointed he felt towards the world he was living in.

I know that the first person to step up and argue the justification for McCandless' actions would be my mother. My mother can't do so though because she's not here. And she's not here because ten years ago, she did the same thing. She sold almost everything she owned and packed up the remainder of her possessions

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