Into the Wild

POST 2 : Chris/Alexander & the myth of the noble/good savage in Sean Penn's Into the Wild movie

Chris/Alexander in Sean Penn Into the Wild

A representation of the noble/good savage

A noble/good savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of an idealized indigene, outsider, or "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. In English, the phrase first appeared in the 17th century in John Dryden's heroic play The Conquest of Granada (1672), where in it was used in reference to newly created man. "Savage" at that time could mean "wild beast" as well as "wild man".
The idea which "the good savage" lives in a heaven on Earth before the original since developed in the XVIIIe century, having its foundations at the explorers and the conquerors of the Renaissance.The myth of the good savage allowed the contemporary writers to develop a shape of social criticism on the aberrations and the injustices of the society.

a) What does Alex seem to believe about the wild/nature as opposed to society/civilization? To what extent does he embody the myth of the 'noble savage'?

Alex seems to believe that in the wild he can be himself and make its own decisions without being to criticize by people in particular by his father. We were able to see, at the beginning of the movie in the scene in the restaurant, his father criticized and wanted to check all the Chris's choices.Chris was fed up with his parent's hypocrisy.
At the same time as, Chris shows towards our society a certain disgust , he is sick and tired of her .It is show when this one, leaves having a walk in the streets of Los Angeles. He feels bad and horrify by what surrounds him it.He seems to think that the nature represents a place which are not be contaminated by the human.

Alex embodies the myth of the noble savage because he lives alone into the wild far from civilization and without means of communication. He lives with the bare minimum.

He lives in perfect harmony with the nature,he hunts for eat . But he is not totally a noble savage because he comes from a society. He was condition by society and knows how she works.

b)What does he hope when going to Alaska/into the wild on his own? What is he longing for?

Chris hopes to be happy and free and that he can live alone with barely anything ,in the wild.His goals is to find the ultimate freedom. Chris hopes to dicover a life without responsabilitiy,possession,people and money.He eventually burnt his money and cut all his card. This would enable, to forget the past because, his parents liars to him and his sister during all his life.He is longing to learn on himself , to know what he is able to do alone.He wents to discover new horizon and make his own story. 

c)What basic truth(s) about living close to nature does he fail to grasp (=understand)? Illustrate with concrete situations taken from the film.

 He fails to grasp that the nature can change because Chris went to Alaska during the winter and he had crossed a freeze river to join the "Magic Bus" but many time later , when he decided to make the inverse way ,he fails to cross the river because the thaw (melted the ice ) caused a very strong current . So he begins the prisoner of the nature. He fails to grasp ,that there are other predatords in the nature. For example , when he killed a moose , he did not manage to keep the meat fresh because the flies laid eggs in that turned into maggots.Before that Chris wants to kill a femal moose but he cannot manage to do it because he sees the baby of the animal. That, shows that Chris has a heart . After we can see that at the end of the film, Chris is starving because he doesn't find wilg game. He becomes crazy , and he doesn't make attention of what he do and what he eats . He finally , eats a poisonus plante and dies . He forgot that the nature is very dangerous. 

d)Is he a good savage or a romantic? Justify.

 I think that he is a romantic and a noble savage. Even if he is in contraction with the idea of "good savage " . He also represents this idea because this one lives in the wilds and he is in accordance with her. In order ,he has lived and born on this society that he thinks she is bad.He is a romantic because at the end of film Chris seems realizes that he badly needs relationships as he has become scared and lonely in the wild. he eventually understands that he will never see his loved ones again.

e) Is it really possible and/or advisable to go back to a state of nature when one has lived in society? Why or why not?

I think that it's very difficult because we are accustomed to live in the society. And we have not the technical to live in the wild . We are on society  which is very based on the consummation , all is more easy .People have neither the courage nor the motivation to do this . their also haven't the time .We can see that on the film chris at the end has regrated his choice.

But It could be possible but for a very short duration.