Christopher McCandless: Inspired, or Romanticized Fool?

I read the book a few years back and recently had a yearning to re-watch the film "into the wild". Excellent film, beautiful soundtrack (yes I'm a fan of pearl jam), great filming and directing. Absolutely love Catherine Keener. This is not, however, a film critique.

After having read the book several times, and being prompted to do further research about aka Alexander Supertramp, I came to several conclusions. The story of his life, though grippingly similar to journeys of Kerouac and others of his beatnick, forever wandering souls group, to me lacked that canonized role that in my readings I have found most people hold him to.

I see nothing noble or inspired in what he did with his life. In truth, seeing his story captured on film left me feeling even more horrified with what I view as a waste of his life than I was before from having only read about him.

I am curious what the lot of you thought about his journey across America. Was he young, wantonly selfish, and set to punish his family or some similar thing, or was he a hero who against societal norms sought to find true meaning in life?

Hope someone out there is as moved by this story as I am.

I think he was both but it was beyond foolish to go off like he did without a map, without getting familiar with the area first and without testing his survival skills before heading to such a harsh climate. I appreciate his vision but his death was sad and wasteful because it didn't have to happen. I don't think he was trying to punish his family, I think he was just trying to find happiness, he was young, confident and over estimated his abilities.

<blockquote><b>Quoting 3 little monsters:</b>" I think he was both but it was beyond foolish to go off like he did without a map, without getting familiar ... [snip!] ... to punish his family, I think he was just trying to find happiness, he was young, confident and over estimated his abilities. "</blockquote>




I felt very upset the entire time I read/watched the story. He cast aside the legacy his family had provided him- in and of itself not bad decisions. We should live the life we choose, but I think especially when it comes to family that we need to take heed of how our life choices effect others and how our lives are inexplicably and eternally entwined. He ran from his family! True, he was young and naive, but never once did he write them a letter, or inform them of his revelations or whereabouts as he travelled cross country. I felt he was cocky, stubborn and bull headed. He set out on a path of self discovery, but I believe his vision became skewed and his focus was placed rather on proving something to the world. His actions of not preparing himself an refusing to contact his family were the actions of an arrogant child. He thought too highly of himself, and never considered the very real dangers of an existence with minimal human relationship. In such, he did not plan and prepare for the reality of terrible Alaskan winters.
Yes, he was very young, but not too young to have consideration for interpersonal relations and a profound respect for our inescapable mortality.