Into The Wild Identity Analysis Essay Sample

One’s identity determines how they interact with and experience the world around them, but how does one conduct identity? Identity often refers to a sort of desperate quest or a deliberately confused search through both a mental and moral experience.  As one grows and experiences more of the world, one must take certain actions. The actions one takes in response to these experiences, ultimately, causes the most change to their values and beliefs. This ultimate change in values and beliefs will result in a major change or growth in one’s identity. The combined effect of the actions taken and the change or growth of values will construct identity. 

In the novel Into The Wild, we see Chris Mccandless’ identity grow and change. We see him go from a college student with good grades and plenty of opportunities to a man looking to find himself in the unknown world. As he grows he learns what he wants to do. He also became more distant, “He seemed mad at us more often and became more withdrawn… he wouldn’t tell us what was on his mind and spent more time by himself”(Krakauer 92). After finding out about his father’s past and the lies he had been told, he faced an identity crisis. To him, his childhood had been a lie. So he goes on a journey.

Chris decides that in order to find himself and make something out of his life, he will go on a journey, a trip into the unknown. “The trip was to be an odyssey in the fullest sense of the world, an epic journey that would change everything” (Krakauer 22). Since Chris feels like he needs to be something more, he goes on a journey, where he leaves everything behind. During the journey, he finds enjoyment in the simple parts of life. He feels that to live off of the land alone brings more joy to him, the challenge of it.

One can also shape their identity through the teachings and writings of others. We see evidence of Chris doing this throughout his story. He takes inspiration from Jack London and Henry David Thoreau and decides to journey into the wilderness. “McCandless had been infatuated with London since childhood. London's fervent condemnation of capitalist society, his glorification of the primordial world, his championing of the great unwashed—all of it mirrored McCandless's passions”(Krakauer 34). He thought of authors like Jack London as the perfect inspiration and that they had perfect ideals. “Jack London is King”(Krakauer 10). Thus he decided to shape his experiences around their ideals and stories.

While Chris McCandless is not the best role model for finding one’s identity, he takes big chances and makes rash decisions, but he does show the different methods used to shape identity. He learns more about his experiences and gains a different view on his life and himself, he then decides that he will go on a journey to gain new experiences and change everything about him and his life. He gets inspiration for this decision from stories about the Alaskan wilderness by men such as Jack London and Henry David Thoreau. Chris’ journey to find and shape his identity didn’t end well, but it serves as a great example of how the way you react to different situations determines who you are.