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Will Barr

Emre Koyuncu

English 106

24 October 2011

Into the Wild with Timothy Treadwell and Christopher McCandless

Have you ever wanted to escape from the reality of our modern society? Have you ever

considered running away from your problems? Timothy Treadwell and Christopher McCandless

are two perfect examples of men who ventured far from the modern world and lived among the

barren Alaskan Wilderness.

Both Christopher McCandless and Timothy Treadwell see the open wilderness as a place

of freedom and a way to escape past problems and society all together. Though they both seek

nature for similar purposes; Timothy interacts with the local Alaskan wildlife as other human

beings while Christopher sees the animals as a potential threat or a source of food. They each

have their own qualities about themselves that set them apart from each other. Their childhood’s

effect on their lives, what they each had to sacrifice, Timothy’s childlike behavior compared to

Christopher’s manly personality, and how they both ended their journeys tragically, are just

some of the few things they don’t have in common.

Treadwell and McCandless both generally had a typical American childhood, yet

Timothy’s struggles growing up and Christopher’s family troubles had ultimately overcome their

lives at some point. They both approached their problems in similar manner, by escaping to

Alaska, but Timothy had to find something immediately because his body could not have taken

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anymore abuse from alcohol. Christopher found that graduating college was the time he needed

to leave. Christopher’s story is more of a surprise then Timothy’s to many for being the type of

people they were before they left.

Timothy Treadwell, originally Timothy Dexter, grew up in Long Island, New York with

several brothers and sisters. His love for animals came at an early age and his parents noticed the

cohesive bond between Timothy and animals. After barely passing high school, Timothy

attended Bradley University on a swimming scholarship. According to Kevin Sanders, after

dropping out of college due to personal and drug related issues he began to pursue acting jobs in

numerous sitcoms. This could possibly be the reason why some argue that he lived with the

bears for fame rather than for his own personal benefit (Sanders).

According to his book "Among Grizzlies", during this period he continued to

indulge in alcohol and drugs and finally overdosed on heroin and cocaine in the

late 1980s, and was rescued by a Vietnam vet named Terry, whom he had become

close to. After he was discharged from the hospital, Tim decided to travel to

Alaska and watch bears at the urging of Terry. (Sanders)

Christopher was raised in Washington D.C. by his parents who had become quite wealthy

over the years. He had developed a close relationship with his sister, due to the fact his parents

were constantly fighting with each other. He was a very bright student, the typical smart and

popular guy throughout high school. Some of his major issues arose from the fact his family

valued material possessions more than their love for each other. A perfect example of this was

when Timothy graduated from Emory University, his parents offered to buy him a new car as a

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gift. Though it was a nice gesture of his parents, he declined their offer and at that point he saw

that his parents wanted to spoil him with materialistic objects and monetary value rather than by

showing compassion. Adam Read points out a valid claim on his website; Christopher escaped to

the wild to avoid living a life style only concerned with money and personal possessions and that

is why his purpose for living in the wild alone is more understood and less controversial.

Christopher wanted to live a simple life; no government, no money, no luxury; he wanted to see

the wild through his own eyes (Read).

They each had their own sacrifices necessary to make the complete journey. Christopher

found it necessary to live buy just the bare essentials while Timothy brought a bountiful amount

of supplies for wherever he ventured too. Was it necessary for McCandless to bring basically

nothing along with him? Would that make him a true man of the wild?

Timothy made his journey to Alaska every summer for 13 years. During the winter he

tended live in a more civilized manner either with friends or family in their respective homes.

The sacrifices he made before his trips at the time seemed drastic but they did not mount up to

those made by Christopher. Timothy was more prepared for his voyage to Alaska and he could

always restock during the winter months.

Christopher sacrificed nearly all he had along short 6 month adventure. Other than the

few friends he befriended along the way, he only worked for what he needed to get by. Watching

survival shows these days shows men thrown into the wild with just a bundle of supplies to help

them get by, but honestly that isn’t truly living all alone in the wild; their obviously in it for the

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money. Too a degree Christopher was on the right path by giving up some of his possessions,

like the things he didn’t need to survive. He arrived to Alaska with very little food and not really

a game plan to find and hunt for more. That was his biggest mistake and he unfortunately

suffered from it.

Timothy was considered quite immature and often displayed childlike behavior though

the lifestyle he chose was basically suicidal. Christopher was seen as the manlier figure, one

comparable to a stereotypical mountain man. The fact that Treadwell was juvenile is true, but

was McCandless really the mountain man everyone saw him to be?

Timothy’s childish manners are shown throughout Herzog’s documentary Grizzly Man.

There are several instances where Treadwell is seen running with his so called friend “Timmy

the Fox” and several scenes show him depicting each bear with their own proper name almost as

other humans. As Brinks also notes, his diet consisted of solely peanut butter sandwiches and

candy bars. Along with his basic and unhealthy diet, Timothy slept with his stuffed teddy bear

every night, which also provides evidence of his juvenile persona (Brinks 304-23).

Treadwell had a close relationship with the bears, one revealing a certain affection only

demonstrated by humans with other humans which goes back to having named each and every

single bear. He got closer than any other person with the wild grizzlies. His obsession with the

bears eventually consumed him. His daily mood was a reflection of how the bears were reacting

with him that day. By watching these scenes from Grizzly Man, Brinks classified Herzog’s

documentary as a feral tale (Brinks 304-23).

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Because Timothy fashions himself in his films and in his non-fiction

autobiography, Among Grizzlies (1997), as someone who is essentially acting out

a familiar fantasy ascribed to children-living in communion with wild animals, the

bears and the foxes whom he knows "by name"-Treadwell's story is clearly a feral

tale, a genre of children's literature in which a childhood lived in the wild figures

prominently. (Brinks 304-23)

Many would argue that Christopher’s ill preparedness caused him to often pursue things

without thinking and behave in a careless manner. They thought he was too overconfident in his

adventures, not fearing death or what evil nature could be in front of him. Though many saw him

as overconfident, others would agree that approaching nature with confidence would lead to

survival.

McCandless was a very bright and intelligent individual yet minor mistakes he made

along his journey could have potentially led to his death. If one were to make a journey similar

to Christopher’s, they should learn from his experiences and come more prepared. For example,

the bear that stumbled upon his camp site; luckily he didn’t get mauled by the bear because it

was too occupied searching for something else. A man of his stature could have easily studied

the local wildlife and plant life, instead he chose coming into a world with little knowledge and

experience. Knowing that the plant he had digested was poisonous beforehand could have saved

his life. These mistakes would not have been made if Christopher had simply prepared for this

venture.

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Many would say Treadwell and McCandless passed away the way they had wanted too,

being happy and accomplishing their personal mission of finding freedom from society. Timothy

and Christopher found the freedom they had been searching for but did they really find a full

sense of happiness? Before they had passed away, they both displayed anger and sorrow.

Towards the end of his journey, Timothy had been receiving complaints from the local

park service saying he was invading the land and not following park rules. He was furious and

pouted again, like a little kid. Timothy was also struggling with this relationship with his

girlfriend of the time, Amie. Kevin Sanders provides evidence from Timothy’s journal to

describe his troubling relationship. Timothy latest journal entry stated, "hell bent on destruction"

and that Amie would be leaving him forever to return to her home in California (Sanders). So

Timothy did not end his life in the happiest of times. Other than the fact he had gotten eat by the

very animal he sought to protect, he had many more aspects about his life that were bringing him

down.

“Happiness is only real when shared,” that is what Christopher wrote in his journal

shortly before he passed away. He realized this when he was near his death. He had a revelation

as he was struggling to survive. His starvation led to the thankfulness of companionship, a

family and a group of friends to share all his memories and appreciate what they had together.

Many Americans find it idiotic to escape to the wild for happiness. “The wilderness is a

poor place to put your worries, your concerns, your dreams, your hopes, thoughts, wishes and

happiness’. The wild simply is just that, wild. Unchanging, unforgiving, it neither knows nor

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cares for your own life. It exists on its own, unaffected by the dreams or cares of man. It kills the

unprepared and unaware” (Read). This is a good example of what many people would have to

say about the journeys Christopher McCandless and Timothy Treadwell made.

It was unfortunate that both men had to die tragically, but it was death that made them

realize complete happiness cannot be achieved from the wild. They both have had a huge impact

on the American society. Timothy’s story has had a larger influence on people due to his

previous popularity and he had been making this adventure for thirteen years compared to the

short 6 month trip Christopher had made.

Timothy Treadwell might have been involved with the bears for a sense of personal

acceptance and it was a job for him, to protect the bears, but the fame he acquired during those

thirteen years wasn’t accidental. He must have known every summer he lived with the bears, his

popularity grew. He had spent a lot of time with campaigns and groups reaching out to children

and others about how the protection of the Alaskan grizzly bear population is vital. In a sense he

was also giving off the impression that the bears were not as violent and furious as people

thought. That is obviously a false impression; animals in the wild need to be seen as wild and

cautionary measures must be taken at all times. Grizzly bears are not a domesticated species; in

fact they are some of the most dangerous animals on our planet.

Many people have made their way to the historic “Magic Bus” including his close friends

and his parents. His parents have recently published photos and the writings of Christopher

McCandless, hopefully in a way to remember him not to make money. Adam Read leads tours

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for those wanting to see the “Magic Bus” and the paths Christopher took. His website provides

support and information regarding the Christopher Johnson McCandless Memorial Foundation.

Timothy Treadwell’s story lives on through Herzog’s, Grizzly Man and through the

countless hours of personal footage Timothy had documented himself. A recording of his death

still exists and it is controversial whether or not is should be shared to the public. His previous

girlfriends, his family members, and people he spent years working with, have shared their

stories and experiences with Timothy. Though some claim his work was just for the fame, no

one can deny the fact that Timothy Treadwell did what he wanted to do with his life. If Timothy

had not passed away that day, he probably would still be in Alaska every summer, protecting and

living among the Grizzlies.

The only real evidence of Christopher McCandless’ journey other than interviews from

family and friends is the journal he had written in daily of what he did and thought. His daily

writings can be applied to everyone’s lives; he was having troubles that many people experience

throughout their lives. His transformation he went through can be compared to everyday life and

his story is a perfect example of how one can find their own happiness. His greatest advice and

possibly his life lesson can be defined within his own words, “Happiness is only real when

shared.”

Both Timothy Treadwell and Christopher McCandless passed away tragically but their

legends live on through the documentaries and stories told by friends and family which have

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impacted the thousands who looked up to them. Though these men died living a life society did

not provide for, hundreds of others seek this lifestyle and still survive and experience the life the

way they want too. Those who want to live a life without governmental and sociological

structure should be allowed to just as Christopher McCandless and Timothy Treadwell did.

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