Quotes from Into the Wild

Jack London, excerpt from White Fang on page 9.

            Of this quote, I think my favorite line is, “It was the Wild, the savage, frozen heartland of the Northland Wild.” The whole quote and this line in particular, capture Chris’s sheer joy that comes from the wild that surrounds him in the time before his death. It is exciting, mysterious and it enthralls him entirely and wholly. It becomes a part of his soul, and yet it is what kills Chris.

Wallace Stegner, excerpt from The American West as Living Space on page 15.

            The whole quote reads: “It should not be denied… that being footloose has exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations, with absolute freedom, and the road has always led west.” This quote describes Chris’s state of being perfectly. The exhilaration it precisely what he seeks in his travels. Where does he travel? As the quote says, the road has always led west. Chris found the sheer joy of living footloose, so to say, so intense that he dedicated his life to achieving this state of enlightenment.

Leo Tolstoy, excerpt from Family Happiness on page 15.

            “I wanted movement, and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement, and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.” This is related to Alex’s life on the road, his feeling of “itchy feet.” It is a trait in his very core the draws him to live the lifestyle that he does. It is an internal energy that pulls him through all of his endeavors. Tolstoy also wrote War and Peace, which was one of his favorites, if not Alex’s absolute favorite book.

One of my favorite quotes is, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.”  - Ronald Reagan. This quote relates to Christopher McCandless perfectly. He hates the government more than anything in the world, except his own parents, so naturally, “I’m from the government,” would not be a phrase he would like to hear. Also he is an independent person who enjoys solitude for long periods and is often averse to help.