Hannah Orloff - Discussion on the novel Into The Wild

 Two summers ago I received a package in the mail from a friend from school, with the book Into the Wild packed inside. My friend wanted me and a second friend to read this book before we all saw each other again the fall because she felt like it really spoke to her. As someone who enjoyed the outdoors and has often heard about this novel I was somewhat excited to begin reading it. A quick read, it was a fascinating story that to me many who had read it missed the message because of the story's context. Chris was a sick kid, although he may have sounded philosophical and profound, the self isolation and abandonment of life, absence of appreciation for life, is not something that is typical. It is one thing to desire a life that is not "traditional" and conformed to the societal expectations of a young individual, it is another to abandon your friends and family and venture into the wilderness with no preparation or understanding of your surroundings. It is a death wish. When a person undergoes a spiritual or lifestyle transition (like my friend claimed Chris had), part of their discovery is in "the self". They feel a sense of individuality within the structured society they live in, and often deviate from what they are expected to do so that they can do what they want to do, because they want their lives to be and mean something. It becomes a discovery of embracing life and feeling connected to their existence, not a desire to escape it. Chris escaped into the woods like one would escape with drugs or alcohol. However, our society sees people who leave for the mountains and wilderness as lively rather than dying, so the message of this story becomes mixed. In addition, society often forgets of the dangers of the wilderness. If a university student is asked whether they like to go camping or not, the ones who say they don't usually state they do not desire the discomfort of sleeping on the ground or not showering, not the potential risk for exposure or death. Our environments are so controlled that we forget the risks that exist in the world around us. Chris may not have fully understood this, as he grew up a privileged kid who may never had to struggle in life to conceptualize the danger he was getting himself into. He may had felt he was invincible because he (like most members of society) was so disconnected from the natural environment, and never truly recognized what he was getting himself into. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing. His journal entries were worded a certain way in the end, sure, but the way he chose to go should not be celebrated like the way it is. Chris was not a revolutionary individual (as my friends claimed), he was a kid like many who struggle to find their place in this world. This is not to speak ill of Chris either, I truly wish he had gotten the help he needed. 

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