Into the Wild

Into the Wild tells the story of Chris McCandless, who later renames himself Alexander Supertramp, and his adventure into the Alaskan Wilderness.  Chris comes from a fairly wealthy family and a college fund of $24,500.68 upon graduation.  However, unlike the average American teenager, Chris has no desire for material objects.  He refuses a new car from his parents and gives $24,000 to charity.  With the $500.68, which he later burns,  he sets out for his adventure to find truth and freedom in the wild.   Chris's adventure starts in the South and becomes a long journey of hitchhiking and pit stops to the Alaskan Wilderness.   Chris meets many people along the way who become an important part of his journey and helping him achieve his goal of making it to Alaska.  When he finally does reach his destination, Chris enters the Alaskan wilderness, finds an abandoned bus and lives of the land where he enjoys the freedom and simple beauty of nature.  Chris never does make it out of wild, as he dies of starvation.  However, his journey did help him to find one truth, "happiness is only real when shared".

I think Chris can be viewed as a good example of a deep ecologist.  He recognizes the unity of people, plants, animals and the Earth.  He is not caught up under the spell of materialism but rather uses what he needs to live off the land and connect with nature.  He realizes that both human and non human life have intrinsic value and that humans should this value except to satisfy their vital needs.  Chris's journey and lifestyle show his appreciation of his life rather than the need for a higher standard of living and material goods.  Although Chris becomes "trapped" in the wild in the end, his journey was an important one of knowledge and discovery.