Afterword and Additional

The struggle over the debate of McCandles legacy is undeniable. We know with no doubt that there are endless controversies over his decisions. Because it really is a difficult topic to create an opinion about. We know that McCandles was severely under prepared and almost unwilling to accept any help from anyone. But we have also seen how determined and strong willed he is. Some people portray him as a stupid kid who made a decision on a whim that cost him his life, and some see a man who wanted to get away from the everyday normalities of society and create his own life. It is also hard to know whether McCandles himself believed in what he was doing or if he had regrets once he was out in a vulnerable position with no option to return. The new evidence and materials that have been developed in recent years, have been able to show us that the downfall of McCandles can be blamed on his diet. He ate plants that, while already being malnourished, can severely weaken your body. And at the end of the day that is what led to his demise. We don’t have any way of knowing if he really knew what he was getting into there. Did he eat the poisonous plants on purpose hoping for a quick way out or was he just not familiar with the plant and ate it unsuspectingly? McCandles at one point says, “Hours slide by like minutes. The accumulated clutter of day-to-day existence- the lapses of conscience, the unpaid bills, the bungled opportunities, the dust under the couch, the inescapable prison of your genes.” (Kraukaer 143) This kind of shows that even if McCandles was prepared, your  mind while being completely alone and away from society can take a toll on you. It is very possible that he had known that plant was dangerous, especially with how smart he was and how close attention to detail he payed, it is easy for things to slip through the cracks or be overlooked. It can put a little bit of a dent in his legacy because in that quote he refers to his own genes, and not being able to escape them. I fell that with that he is subtly shedding light on the fact that he wanted to be nothing like his father, but it almost seems like he feels like his life is becoming a disappointment similar to his dad. His dad made mistakes; and so did Chris. Although the mistakes they made are very different it seems like at that point he was feeling regretful of his actions. Later in the novel Krakauer says, “I bring up McCandle’s hubris and the dumb mistakes he made- the two or three readily avoidable blunders that ended up costing him his life… But I admire what he was trying to do. Living completely off the land like that, month after month, is incredibly difficult. I’ve never done it. And I’d bet you that very few, if any, of the people who call McCandles incompetent have never done it either.” (Krakauer 185) Summing up what Krakauer says, we know that McCandles made many mistakes throughout this journey in his life. He could have made some choices differently that would have ultimately saved his life and prevented this tragic ending. But the mistakes he made shows that he is human just like all of us. Instead of tearing him down for the mistakes that he made we should recognize the strength and courage he had to do such an unconventional act. So even though we learned that his death really was preventable, I believe that it does not degrade his legacy. He died during his adventure but that is what ended up making his name known to the world. Although it is sad to say, if he would have accomplished this I believe that he never would have gotten the recognition he deserved. His story should remain as a reminder that humans are capable of amazing things, but we should not aspire to try to accomplish things beyond our means.