A Fool With Some Tools? Uh..Yeah some would consider him that

"Sure, he screwed up,"..."but I admire what he was trying to do. Living completely off the land like that, month after month, is incredibly difficult. I've never done it. And I'd bet you that very few, if any, of the people who call McCandless incompetent have ever done it either, not for an extended period, subsisting on nothing except what you hunt and gather--most people have no idea how hard that actually is. And McCandless almost pulled it off" (Kraukauer 185).

Travel Advice

Roman, a professor at Alaska Pacific University, refutes the statements about Chris's incompetency in the above quote by giving him his appraisal for taking on this daring adventure that most would never even think of doing. Many people consider McCandless's mistakes to be a sign of stupidity and just being ignorant on what to bring overall. My advice to McCandless would to maybe bring some more tools for survival and be better educated on the surroundings in Alaska. Some also say if Chris had a U.S. Geological Survey topographic map he would have knows of the existence of a Park Service cabin six miles south of the bus. However, the cabin was reported vandalized and it would haven't helped him as a result. Chris did the best he could on surviving in the wilderness which was better than any of us could have done. He was only known for all of the foolish things he did but should be more well known for his travel advice that he left in his journal for us to interpret. Travel with purpose. Travel to make yourself happy and satisfied in your life with the overall outcome. He leaves these messages between the lines of his annotations and journals he left in the bus. The quality of your life is more important than the quantity. Chris left his travels at peace and in a state of happiness which is all he ever advises us to do.

A Tipping Point in Chris's Journey that He Calls Life

"Chris's smoldering anger, it turns out, was fueled by a discovery he'd made two summers earlier, during his cross-country wanderings...He called on a number of old family friends who still lived there, and from their answers to his queries, Chris pieced together the facts of his father's previous marriage and subsequent divorce--facts to which he hadn't been privy" (Kraukauer 121).

The Dynamics of Family

In our society today, children are constantly trying to live up to the high expectations of their parents. Our personal happiness and self-worth is based on the appreciation and acceptance of others. Chris McCandless took this social norm and made it his daily routine. His entire life he would get exceptionally high grades, high scores on standardized tests, and was put in accelerated programs for gifted students and if he, didn't then his parents would do everything in their power to make sure he would. These expectations started to tear him apart and eventually led to a point of rebellion and started to eliminate all contact with his parents. The summer he left for good was two summer after he lost respect for his dad as all his mistakes were kept concealed and made him think his childhood was all a lie. His expectations from his parents were based on all of the achievements they have but when he made the shocking discoveries of his father's screw ups in life he made the revelation that his father is a hypocrite to present his life is error-free. Then during his senior year he received a letter from his mother, Billie, where he perceived the meaning to be that he is stupid. After his graduation ceremony, he decided to leave once and for all to escape the hypocritical judgments of his father, his privileged life that he wanted nothing apart of, and now the harsh opinions from his mom.

Chris McCandless-The Name That Became a Legacy

"It is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found" (Krakauer 37).

Inspiration or Fool?

For decades there have been societal norms that you must follow in order to fit in and succeed in life, they usually have to do with not doing anything adventurous because it could be dangerous. Chris challenges that to the greatest extent where his individuality takes over and his dreams become realities. Through his journals and his memoir told by Jon Krakauer he has created a lasting legacy in his name, inspiring others to do what makes you happy no matter what anyone else thinks. He took a journey across the country to escape his reality of his emotional and destructive past with his parents. McCandless pursued his dream of being alone with his thoughts and finding himself within the beautiful nature to escape his privileged life. This journey inspired many other pupils across the world to emerge from their comfort zones and follow your dreams without letting your own fears get in the way. And thus his name became a legacy know around the world.