Chapters 17 &18

Within chapter 17 it describes the journey that Krakauer took to the bus. There are remnants of McCandless everywhere, including clothing, pots and pans, and the knife sheath given to him by Franz.

Chris decides to wait for the river to go back down and return to his previous routine of hunting and gathering. 4 days after he returned to the bus he writes about starving. Some believe he confused a wild potato plant seeds with poisonous sweet pea seeds, which was the most likely mistake. Krakauer tests the seeds at the University of Alaska and finds swainsonine alkaloid, a substance that stops the human body from turning food into usable energy. It causes starvation regardless of how much you eat. It’s possible to overcome the poison but because McCandless was already so low on necessary sugars and protein, he could not flush it from his system.

in a final conclusion in response to the guiding question.

Chris McCandless - Courageous and noble idealist
or
reckless idiot and wacko narcissist undeserving of all the media attention?

I have come to the understanding that Christopher Johnson McCandless made some brilliant hind sight in his life. He had an uncommon attitude to approaching life that not many people posses ( let alone understand). That being said i think Chris screwed up a good number of times. He could have gotten better maps that could have saved his life ( on a detailed map of the area, nearby cabins and the basket and wire river crossing are marked). He could have been more prepared. However being prepared might and probably was something Chris did not like to rely on, or potentioally stood against.

"...the sea's only gifts are harsh blows and, occasionally, the chance to feel strong. Now, I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong, to measure yourself at least once, to find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions, facing blind, deaf stone alone, with nothing to help you but your own hands and your own head..."

I believe that Chris measured himself once, and he felt strong in his last moments. I believe that the insight he has provided us with into his own life is important. He didn't stop when i came to making a difference in his own life, and he didn't stop when it came to making a difference in others life's. In my eyes this makes Chris noble, Strong, and intelligent. throwing him into the category of a reckless idiot wacko narcissist would contradict and be in lue of all that he found, in body soul and mind, and what he attempted to do for others.