Forgiveness is one the many other themes in into the wild

Forgiveness, and the danger inherent in the inability to forgive, are central themes in Into the Wild. Chris Mccandless is shown to be a very kind person, who is won’t to ignore the fact that so many people are starving or hungry around him, and feels a personal responsibility to help them. Yet his actions are ultimately selfish, and do great harm to those who love him most.

There is certainly more behind his along trip than just anger at his parents, but his resentment of them does spread into the rest of his life, and seems to be closely connected to how isolated he becomes at Emory university. This adds to his revulsion against society generally, which is clearly a driving factor in his deciding to go into the wilderness. One is left to wonder if, had Mccandless found a way to forgive his parents for their shortcomings, he would not have felt the need to go to such extreme lengths in his quest for answers.