Into the Wild Blog #1

                I was extremely impressed when I read that McCandless donated all of his savings to charity.  That seemed like a very spontaneous and noble action.  I can understand why some may consider him “a wacko,” though, since he made such rash decisions; however, I admire his impulsive choices and his determination to adhere to his views and promises he made to himself.  McCandless was a very opinionated guy, and he didn’t allow anyone to alter his opinions.  I don’t understand how anyone could label him as a narcissist, though.  He’s the opposite of selfish when he demands that he will no longer receive (nor give) gifts and then especially when he gives all of his money to a charity pertaining to ending world hunger.  I believe that McCandless was looking for the answers to unanswerable questions.  I think that he isolated himself away from society to try and be an instinctual human being, one that provides for himself with the essentials that are naturally provided for him.  Maybe he was looking for God.  Maybe he was looking for the purpose of life.  Whatever he was specifically looking for, he was generally looking for answers.

                McCandless was a successful student and athlete.  He exceeded in academics and sports, but it seems like he was just skimming across the surface while doing so.  Really, McCandless was probably searching for a deeper meaning to life and also for answers to his difficult questions, and he wasn’t finding them in an academic or athletic setting.  In others’ eyes, he was probably successful, but in his own eyes, he was probably just faking his way through success.  True success for McCandless seemed to be understanding, and by going into the wild, he hopefully learned and understood the answers to his questions.