Discover whether Chris McCandless opposed legal systems. Explore his mindset and ask, did Chris McCandless hate any laws he lived by?
Chris McCandless: the name that comes to one’s mind is that of the wild, freedom, and life unplugged from modern civilization. If you read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer or watched the movie, you probably felt this surge of admiration and curiosity. McCandless didn’t just do a physical journey into the Alaskan wilderness, give up on society, and give away his possessions; it was a statement. But the million-dollar question is, did Chris McCandless hate any laws?
That’s what we’re diving into today, and while I can’t promise a neat and tidy answer-“Because let’s face it, McCandless was anything but simple”-I unpack his beliefs, his actions, and his relationship with rules and authority. If you are anything like a bit of a daydreamer who from time to time fantasized about escaping the grind exploration might feel curiously personal. So grab a cup of something warm, and let’s dig in.
Table of Contents
Christopher McCandless: A Man Who Walked Away
Introduce: Where this was setting, Chris McCandless was all but the stereotype expected to become this very stereotypical rebel in his early twenties – privileged, having grown up in one very privileged home, Chris McCandless graduated from Emory University with honors and had everything in his life going for him, and yet he gave all of his savings away and abandoned his car to seek identity among nature.
What’s interesting about Chris, though, is that he didn’t just reject the materialism of modern life; he rejected modern societal norms per se: he burned his Social Security card, avoiding formal employment, and laws and rules and systems seemed entirely irrelevant to him. Does that make him hate them, or is he just apathetic?
Chris McCandless: Did He Abhor Laws? Let’s Consider
The following will try to attempt the same by deconstructing the philosophy of Chris McCandless, critically analyzed in realms such as his actions, his writings, and the broader thematic elements that his life exhibited.
1. His Actions: Rule Breaking, Not Out of Spite
Chris McCandless was never one for picket signs and protests against government entities or the penning of manifestos against authority; indeed, he was unpolitical. Still, a good deal of his doings danced on or outside of legal boundaries, for example:
Here could be where I relate a few years ago, took a hiking trip with some friends, and found this beautiful spot close to a river, only to later find out that, in fact, it was private property. Yes, we despised property law. We were caught up in the moment, chasing that feeling of freedom with our friends.
I can only imagine Chris felt this way, too: committed to living authentically, not thumbing his nose at the law.
2. His Writings: A Glimpse into His Mind
Besides writing to people he had met en route, Chris McCandless kept journals. He would write to them about his thoughts pertaining to society, freedom, and rules.
One of the most telling quotations comes from a letter he wrote to Ron Franz, the older man he had met on his travels:
“You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living.”
Source: Enotes
That does not sound like the words of a man who despises laws; he chafes under the controls of modern life, people going through routines without the slightest thought as to why. To McCandless, laws weren’t the bad guys; conformity was.
3. His Philosophy: Freedom Above Everything
If one word defines Chris McCandless, that would be the word freedom: not anarchical-minded, he didn’t need or even try to change rules imposed by society, yet was never interested in living his life according to them either. In many ways, McCandless was more of a transcendentalist than an anarchist.
Transcendentalism is all about self-reliance, and nature, and flees all societal barriers that set standards for individuals. Henry David Thoreau, whom people consider a genius along with Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the propagators of this philosophy, it seems McCandless was highly into the idea since at all times, he had with him a copy of Walden by Thoreau. Therein, Thoreau has said,
“That government is best which governs least.”
It is not hard to see how such a philosophy would appeal to McCandless, who didn’t abhor laws so much as he didn’t see the need for them in the life he wished to lead.
4. Whether McCandless Deliberately Broke Laws
Conversely, imagine one does not play a certain game of boards whose rules happen to be irrelevant for one, or even seemingly completely arbitrary, or he actually doesn’t care who would win. To be in keeping with himself, the person acts out his, not with the purpose to spite anybody else, but with maybe more authenticity. That, pretty much, is how I saw McCandless regarding laws.
For instance, the burning of money and leaving the car were not acts of rebellion but letting go. He was never even trying to make some statement regarding the government or the laws. He was just following his compass.
The Wider Angle: Why McCandless’s Story Resonates
The story of Chris McCandless tends to make many people highly critical and controversial. Many look upon him as a hero, of sorts, almost a modern Thoreau who could courageously live authentically, while others consider him careless, ignorant, and even selfish for turning away from the responsibilities convention had ordained.
But here’s the thing: the story of McCandless resonates with people because he tapped into something universal-who hasn’t ever felt trapped by all the rules, expectations, or just the grind that is modern life? Who has never dreamed of escaping on a weekend?
It is that drunk-like feeling that one has while being on an open road on a journey taken for the first time solo, that nobody orders you around in which direction to take, what and all you must do, or at all. One instant feeling for a second having stepped out of the system. And that, I believe, is what McCandless’s story was about, rather than not being able to bear laws: a craving for something more.
FAQs
1. Did Chris McCandless break any laws throughout this journey?
Yes, Chris McCandless did break several laws throughout his journey, though not out of malice or rebellion. To name a few, he hunted such animals as moose and birds in Alaska without a license to do so, which is illegal. He also camped or traveled on privately owned land. These were not done out of hate for the law but more to survive and live freely rather than adapt to the rules of society.
2. Was Chris McCandless anti-government or against the legal system?
No, Chris McCandless was not against the government or any other legal system; he was not an anarchist or anti-government activist. As a matter of fact, his denial of the norms of society was impelled by an urge for personal freedom and self-sufficiency. As a transcendentalist thinker, just like Henry David Thoreau, McCandless wanted to live simply and authentically and very often without laws and systems that he found irrelevant to his way of living.
3. What aspects of his life influenced McCandless’s attitudes about society and laws?
Chris McCandless was heavily influenced by works of literature and philosophical ideas. He admired writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Jack London, and Leo Tolstoy-all those who were strong proponents of simplicity, individualism, and a connection with nature. Works like these instilled in him the view that modern society, in its materialism and rigid systems, was incompatible with genuine freedom. Whereas, McCandless saw this rebellion against societal set rules not as an act of despising the laws, but instead as a way of continuing life self-discovered and free independently.
4. Did Chris McCandless hate any laws?
There is no evidence to indicate that Chris McCandless hated laws. However, to answer the question, Did Chris McCandless hate any laws? The answer would have to be no. In most of his actions, there is more indifference rather than hate. For instance, he did not abide by the hunting regulations or property laws, but to him, surviving by the land and following his philosophy was much more important rather than being restricted by laws and regulations that would only tie him down. His story indicates a large-scale disavowal of societal norms rather than any specific detestation for one certain law.
Conclusion: Did Chris McCandless Hate Any Laws?
This is how to finally answer the question that got us into all this in the first place: did Chris McCandless hate any laws? The simple answer is no-at least, not in the typical sense of the word. McCandless was by no means a revolutionary going out to tear down the rules of society. He was still a seeker, trying to get the lifestyle that would work for him. Laws, for better or for worse, were only another part of the system he chose to leave behind.
His story is not one of the rejection of laws, but one of the rejection of the inauthentic. Whether one condones or criticizes his decision, there’s something that can’t be denied – inspiring, of course, commitment to at all cost live on his own terms.
Final Thoughts
But then, Chris McCandless’s was a story about one soul entering the wild. Yet, the events themselves provide tension between restriction and liberty, individuality against conformity, and nature against civilization.
One thing is certain; McCandless abhorred laws: McCandless lived a life unapologetic to its core with a story that won hearts and minds, calling into question the very rules under which people live. What rules do you think anyone would be standing face to face with now and would walk away from if he could?
Additional Resources
If you’re interested in learning more about Chris McCandless and the themes explored in his story, here are some great resources to check out:
