re: Into the Wild

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He was a selfish, idealistic, emo rich kid.

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Scratch idelistic from that list and I would agree.

quote:

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He was a selfish, idealistic, emo rich kid.

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I mostly disagree.

I read this book after having it highly suggested to me by a few of my outdoor survival classmates on a trip into the canyons of southern Utah in 2004.

I thought it was a great story. He was not selfish AT ALL. He was independent. The problem that most have when viewing him is that they assume that he is not the owner of his own life and that he owes something to others. He chose a path in life that is unconventional, sure, but that doesn't make him selfish. Why is someone pursuing their own happiness deemed selfish? Sure, he may have been idealistic, but most of us at that age are. I don't even know where you get the emo idea from. And as far as rich goes....he was far from it. He gave his money away. He lived simply. He worked for what he needed. He did not expect any handouts.

As a person with an interest in outdoor survival, I can admit that he made some stupid choices in regards to the Alaska trip. But why does that bother you so much? It's his life and his choice. And he chose to do what so many of us have dreamed of doing (I guarantee it's a very common fantasy). Most just fantasize....he had the balls to do it.