Chris McCandless Character Traits

Direct Characterization is the author's use of words to explain what a character is like physically, usually based on what they look like.
Indirect Characterization is the explaination of how the character acts and what their personality is.

Direct Characterization

Fairly short about 5’7” or 5’8”
Skinny or “wiry” p4
Strong like a he did physical labor p. 16
Stubborn and confident – “He wouldn’t give an inch. He had an answer for everything” p. 6

Indirect Characterization

Very smart or well educated – “he read a lot and used a lot of big words” Wayne Westerberg p. 18
A hard worker – “He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. Whatever it was he’d do it…” Wayne Westerberg p.18
Liked to talk – “He used to sit right there and tell us amazing stories about his travels. He could talk for hours” as Wayne Westerberg recalled p.16.
Friendly and well liked – “he found a surrogate family in Westerberg and his employees” p. 18
Thrifty – “Chris lived off campus in a room with nothing more than a mattress on the floor, a table and milk crates” p. 22
Thoughtful – As Wayne Westerberg said “Sometimes he tried too hard to understand the world, to figure out why people were so mean to each other” p. 18

I think that from the characterization in the book so far that Chris McCandless has good intentions but isn't well prepared. He went into the wild wanting to get away from the stress and pressure of civilization, but as Jon Krakauer said "a few mistakes were what formed his end".