Christopher McCandless should be recognized for living as he wanted and according to his ideas. Chris was a middle-class kid with supportive parents and a college education. He lived as he wanted, and along the way, he helped and inflicted pain on people. His purity and mysterious beliefs made him friends on his journey across America, but his stubbornness caused pain to others, inflicted pain on his parents who worked to provide him with opportunities but treated them like they were trash . He should be admired in the sense that he was brave and intelligent, in society, but stupid in his predisposition to nature. Now he is dead, we wouldn't be talking about him if he were alive, that's how it is, what causes such intelligence, such stupidity in a matter of months, yes he was stupid but he should be admired for his courage, purity and independence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Chris McCandless's purity and mysterious beliefs mesmerized the lives of the people he came into contact with on his journey. For example, when the Westerbergs first met Chris Mary Westerberg was not interested in Chris' journey or ideals, to her Chris was just an idiot worker on her farm. But after Mary had a chance to talk to Chris, her perspective on him changed completely, after a conversation with Chris full of honesty and purity, Mary's opinion on Chris changed. “There was something charming about him, explains Ms. Westerberg [...] Unlike most of us, he was the kind of person who insisted on living what he believed in.” Mary Westerberg was unsure about Chris based on her social status and beliefs "she wasn't really excited about meeting Chris" but soon realized that none of that mattered after having a five-hour non-stop conversation with Chris. Chris was admired by others for his purity, even though others believed that going to the Alaskan forest was a bad idea and he followed his plan, even though it turned out to be a bad one. His purity is what attracted people like the Westerbergs or the Burres, his purity and honesty are what helped him make friends on his journey. Yes, Chris may be dead, but the friendships and memories he has imprinted on people in such a short time are what make him outgoing and admirable. While Chris McCandless's purity made him friends, his independence is what made him brave. Throughout his life Chris has striven for independence, which he saw as early as high school. In the summer of 1990 he packed up his Datsun and left for America. Chris was never afraid to take risks, he was a risk taker. Chris paddled down the Colorado River to the Gulf of Mexico in a canoe. He had the courage to spend a month and a few days in the ocean alone. “He hadn't seen or spoken to anyone for 36 days. Throughout that time, he survived on five pounds of rice and what marine life he could catch at sea, an experience that would later convince him that he could survive on equally meager rations on the Alaskan savanna. This shows what an independent and courageous person Chris was, he spent 36 days alone in the middle of the ocean with only 5 pounds of rice and fish that he caught. Despite the great danger, Chris followed his heart and did what he wanted, knowing his lack of experience, he did it because he wanted to be independent. Chris was self-sufficient in the sense that he did everything himself. “His equipment seemed extremely minimal for the harsh conditions!”