g only sixty-five pounds.
Krakauer attempts to trace the journey of McCandless not only to discover the answer to what happened on his journey but also to figure out what motivated the young man to attempt such a reckless and ill-prepared trek into the wild. Using interviews, journal excerpts, photographs, and postcards McCandless sent to those who provided him food or shelter along his journey, Krakauer is unable to provide a clear answer as to what happened to McCandless. However, he does provide us with an account of how a young college graduate attempted to live off of only the land and its resources of berries, other edibles, and small game. While some view McCandlessÆ actions as selfish, reckless, nanve, and pretentious, others view him as a survivalist who immersed himself in nature in the vein of Thoreau and others. McCandless was personally aware of the risk he was taking, despite otherÆs impressions of him. As he writes to one individual, ôIt might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you donÆt ever hear from me again I want you to know youÆre a great man,ö (Krakauer, p. 3).
At heart, McCandlessÆ tale reads like a quest for personal meaning and identity, as much as a harrowing tale of survival in the harsh wilds of Alaska. McCandless rejected the materialism of contemporary society and undertook his journey to find meaning and define identity in nature. Whether or not McCandless ever experienced such a raw transcendence in nature is unknown, but Krakauer has an obvious admiration for this young man who
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