Walking Alone

"McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well—relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it" (Krakauer 55).

Topic: Ignoring Your Past Friends and Family. (Family Dynamics).     

     In this quote, McCandless is finding joy and excitement on his journey towards the North, and he feels more relaxed when he completely ignores his relationships or any communication towards anyone he has met in the past, be it his father, mother, sister, friends, and so on. However, that relief will be short lived, as the act of suppressing his past relationships shows how deep McCandless's problems with social interactions are, which are very vital in his two-year journey for meaning and peace, which will end with his fatal death. During those two years, McCandless doesn't make any contact with his sister, despite how close they are, and while he may have met many potential friends, he prevents any bond from forming, because these relationships can shatter like glass, leaving a black void inside of his soul, and the grief can distract him from his journey.

Whenever he makes any potential bond, McCandless leaves without any notice, good bye, letter, gift, or anything else; it's just like he had simply vanished. There is no remorse nor regret for his abandonment of his potential bonds, as he simply walk into the woods, where the only person he can look after is himself. As he intentionally forgets the responsibilities people have in any close relationship, he ignores the harm done to those who love him when he risks his safety, and of course, his life, which will seal his fate by the freezing cold