Into The Wild and its relation to The Hours

Hello, classmates!

          Last class, while Mr. Villa was talking about how Mrs. Brown, the character who plays the role of the reader in Cunningham's The Hours, broke free after her suicide attempt, made me think about my favorite movie: Into the Wild. I think that most of you might have seen it and I really hope you have because I do not want to become a spoiler or something like that. 

          This movie, based on real events and characters, tells us about the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man that just graduated from high-school. His life, at least at the very beginning, seemed completely normal, until the film starts to show us that he is not happy at all with his family and his life in general. During a dinner after his graduation ceremony, his dad tells him he wanted to give him a new car because Chris' car was "crappy"--and it literally was. Despite the fact that for many young men this offering would be something considered great, Chris got angry and discovered his disappointment and discontent towards their parents and the way they pretended to have a normal and happy life (and marriage) while they fought all the time.

          From my point of view, the dinner means to Chris what the suicide attempt after reading Mrs. Dalloway means to Mrs. Brown: realizing that they did not like the life they were living and that they had to do something about it or they will end their lives with an immense feeling of dissatisfaction (and, of course, it is not cool to become into someone like Jimmy Porter, right?). Out of these episodes, both people accept themselves and the way they wanted to live life: Mrs. Brown could have left her family, assumed she was lesbian, and lived the life she wanted in the way she wanted to, but she didn't in the end... She had an image she had to maintain; similarly, Chris accepted himself as a free soul, as a money-hater, as a nature-lover and changed his name in order to leave his past behind and embrace this new life totally: Alexander Supertramp, the identity Chris chose, gave him the power to re-exist in a wild way.

          

          Referring to the idea I previously wrote--the instance, event, or thing that gave both Mrs. Brown and Mr. McCandless the strength and courage to make the change necessary to live life the way they wanted to--I found a quote said by Mr. McCandless himself which supports what I have just said:

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

         Finally, I would like to ask those people who have seen the movie, what do you think about this comparison? Do you think it is valid, or not? It will be great if you comment and give your opinion on this by commenting on this post! 

Good night! =)