Into The Wild Essay Questions

Into The Wild Literary Analysis

Literary Argument:

In Into the Wild, Krakauer alludes to the works of Leo Tolstoy, Henry David Thoreau, and Jack London to show how Chris McCandless' infatuation with existentialist literature influenced his decision to leave society behind and venture into the wild.

Outline:

Throughout Into the Wild, many authors are mentioned and alluded to by Krakauer, the most significant of these being Leo Tolstoy,Henry David Thoreau, and Jack London. Krakauer uses these allusions to illustrate how Chris McCandless was heavily influenced by these writers with whom he was so fascinated.

Krakauer alludes to the writing of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy to show the similarities between him and McCandless.

Krakauer uses allusions to and excerpts from Tolstoy's writing to demonstrate how his wish for adventure and a nontraditional lifestyle inspired McCandless and led him to have many similar ideals.

Tolstoy was a Russian Novelist who longed for a nontraditional lifestyle far from his noble lineage ("Leo Tolstoy").

"Stubborn and arrogant, Tolstoy refused to ally himself with any particular intellectual school of thought. Declaring himself an anarchist, he made off to Paris in 1857" ("Leo Tolstoy").

Tolstoy was morally opposed to a structured lifestyle and searched for an exciting adventure that he believed would leave him feeling fulfilled. McCandless identified with Tolstoy's longing for adventure and excitement.

"I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement

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Into the Wild

People are often told to be themselves as a way of embracing their uniqueness. This seems to not be true since conformity and lack of individualism is a big issue with society. The issue of what led Christopher McCandless, main character from Into the Wild by John Krakauer, to go on a search to find himself. In the author's note of the novel, Krakauer introduces the term 'schools of thought'. In the case of this book, there are two; one being that some people said it was a suicide mission and the other being that others disagreed saying he was ambitious. The story demonstrates one man's attempt to define a lifestyle and find meaning in his life that came from something outside materialistic and civilized contemporary...show more content...

The young man was trying to make an effort to have Ron change his way of living. He felt that he could enjoy his life more if he was more adventurous about it. Not only was he making a change in his own lifestyle, but he was also trying to make others realize that they should do the same. Chris wanted people to embrace who they were, rather than going with the flow and conforming to what society thought they should be. When Chris first started his adventure into the wild, he rejected the materialism of contemporary society and undertook his journey to find meaning and define identity in nature. He believes that he does not need anything more than what he can run with on his back. There has always been a vision set by the people around him of what he has to achieve in his life. His parents constantly reiterated the fact that after graduating from college, he must attend law school and become a lawyer. In their eyes, that is the definition of success. This package of success that has been pushed on Chris his entire life kept him from being able to find his true self. In an attempt to find out who he really is, Chris decides to leave everything he has ever known to find himself. For him, finding himself and embracing his individuality would be what made him

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Once an individual dies, his true intentions and feelings can never be known. People can speculate all they want, but unless they have had similar experiences as the individual, they must refrain all judgments. In the nonfiction work Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, many readers have harshly judged the main character, Chris McCandless, as stupid and thoughtless for his dangerous and ultimately fatal adventure in the raw wilderness of Alaska; many have even said he had been suicidal. The author attempts to display Chris as a human being with meaningful intentions and emotional yearning rather than just a stereotypical, reckless vagabond by using his own story as a similar experience to Chris', so readers can begin to understand Chris from a...show more content...

Krakauer and Chris not only have the same mindset and views about dangerous expeditions, but also the same eventual epiphany. Both are voluntary outcasts of society who view people as problematic and immoral, as exemplified in their conflict with their fathers. Both also realize, however, the value and comfort of sharing happiness within a society. Krakauer initially believes loneliness is best, but he is only lying to himself, for "the pleasure I'd felt in this woman's company – exposed my self–deceit and left me hollow and aching" (137). After spending some time alone and away from society on his mountain climbing journey, Krakauer still has not found any enlightenment about life but only begins to understand that he is only truly happy in the presence of others. This relates back to Chris McCandless because at the end of his long, isolated expedition in Alaska, he ironically came to the conclusion that "happiness [is] only real when shared" (189). Chris initially believes that the right way to live is by finding answers in solitude; however, after experiencing that solitude, he concludes that a society is necessary for people to thrive and be happy. Thus, by both Krakauer and Chris's relevation, the author is able to send a thematic

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Into the Wild

Rhett Jackson

English 12B: American Literature

The novel Into the Wild is a nonfiction novel published by Jon Krakauer who investigated the life and death of a free spirited individual named Christopher McCandless. McCandless was a recent Emory University graduate who sought to suck the marrow out of life through an independent experience in nature and purposely sought to this experience in the rawest form of supplies. He was found dead in August of 1992 in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness. For the sake of his journey, he purposely didn't bring an adequate amount of food or supplies. Consequently, those who read of his actions wonder what evoked him to live the way he ...show more content...

15 March 2012 Into the Wild Temperament Type Analysis

Christopher's true frustrations were unveiled when he learned of his parents offering to buy him a new car, "I've told them a million times that I have the best car in the world, a car that has spanned the continent from Miami to Alaska, a car that I will never trade in, a car that I am very strongly attached to yet they ignore what I say and think I'd actually accept a new car from them!" These words empowered his actions to the fullest extent. In addition to not wanting a new car, he states, "I'm going to let them think they are right...And then with one abrupt, swift action I'm going to completely knock them out of my life...I'll be through with them once and for all." This course of action is indeed what Christopher McCandless did. On the other hand, extroverts, mainly obtain their energy from other people and would probably never be able to abstain from communication from vital family members. 2ND: When it comes to the sensing and intuitive preferences, Christopher was a sensing type of individual. According to the Temperament Type andInto the WildNotes, sensing individuals attend to various events in the present moment. Christopher doesn't plan out the various details of his journey in a universal order, pack the essential necessities or set a planned agenda; he lives in the current moment. For example, when his yellow Datsun gets destroyed he decides to simple leave it behind. He doesn't scavenge to attempt to

Krakauer Essay

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Chris McCandless was just a victim of his own obsession. The novel "Into The Wild" written by John Krakauer revealed the life of a young bright man named Chris McCandless who turned up dead in Alaska in summer 1992. In the novel, John Krakauer approached carefully McCandless's life without putting too much authorial judgment to the readers. Although Chris McCandless remained an elusive figure throughout the novel, I can see Chris McCandless as a dreamy young idealist who tries to follow his dream but failed because of his innocent mistake which prove to be fatal and irreversible. Still, Chris McCandless's courage and passion was something that we should all be proud of. When Chris McCandless's...show more content...

Chris McCandless was possessed by a nomadic existence and was trying to share his principle of life to his friend by telling that the truth about life was to explore the nature. Chris McCandless's last letter to Wayne revealed his true passion of nature. "This is the last you shall hear from me...I now walk into the wild"(pg 69). Some people concluded that it was Chris McCandless's suicide letter. However, in my opinion, Chris McCandless was just a victim of his own ego, pride and confidence that made him to neglect basic precautions that keep one person alive. He was controlled by his own delusions and that made him eager to test himself into strenuousness which proved fatal to him. Chris McCandless was a true adventurer. He went to his journeys mostly by foot and would not take any chance to cheat it. He bought an aluminum canoe at Arizona and paddled down the Colorado River, and nearly drowning in rough water in the Gulf of California. In his journal, he writes ."..It is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found. God it's great to be alive! Thank you. Thank you" (pg37). His confession in his journal proved that he had no regrets of what he had done even though it almost cost him his life. He also turned down Wayne's offer to buy him an airplane ticket to

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Into the Wild book Review

Into the Wild is an adventure to be remembered, and shows how the wild shaped and influenced Chris's life. Jon Krakauer writes the story on the adventure of Chris, and he shows how happiness is felt when shared together. The author Jon Krakauer is also the narrator in the book, and he investigates the people who knew Chris. In 1993 Krakauer published his first article about McCandless after reading a write up in The New York Times. The article he wrote was on the investigation of McCandless's death, relationships, and the role the wild had in furthering the tale of relying on self. The book Into the Wildwas then published in 1997 which would continue the investigation on the...show more content... The book uses imagery to give the reader a picture in their mind of what Chris would see in the Alaskan wild, and also involves a mystery of finding what lead to his death. The author describes a thrilling and adventurous journey of the wild, and shows how the wild shapes Chris's life. Chris grew up in a well–to–do family and decides to hitchhike to Alaska alone in the wild. He then meets Jim Gallien who drives him to edge of Denali National Park. Gallien noticed Chris looking for a ride, and pulls over to pick him up. He was unprepared by the look of his backpack, and offered to take him to get more supplies, but Chris tells him no and he drives him to the trail. Two weeks after Chris had died, three moose hunters found his body on an abandoned bus on the stampede trail. Jon Krakauer was the author of the book, as well as the narrator. Krakauer interviewed people that knew Chris to investigate his motives for going Into the Wild. Krakauer connected his life with Chris since he understood Chris's passion of the woods of danger. However, he states he is different by saying that he was less intellectual than Chris, but instead had more concern for people. While trying to find what Chris McCandless's motivation was for going out Into the Wild, Krakauer finds he wanted escape his abusive father, and emotional

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Into the Wild by John Krakauer is a nonfiction book, later adapted into a movie in 2007 when I was about eight years old. Admittedly, I was most likely watching Sponge Bob at the time of its movie release. My high school Religion Teacher Mr. Towell gave us a writing assignment for us to watch the movie Into the Wildand answer some thought–provoking questions. My mother had read the book back in the nineties and encouraged me to read the book before watching the movie. Thanks to both of these people, this book is one of my favorites.

The book and the movie follow main character Christopher McCandless post graduation from a prestigious college with what most would consider a bright future ahead, burning his money, destroying his driver...show more content...

Depending on the type of city, you could survive without either a driver's license or a car; many people who live in cities have neither and depend on public transportation.

Without many of these documents, would I be able to get a job, develop credit, be able own or rent a home someday? I was curious of how long once completely alone, how much time passed before he felt lonely? The character of Chris was very intelligent, but lacked common sense for himself and his true abilities. He thought by conquering Alaska alone he could prove his self–worth to himself and his family. It was not until he nears death does he realize if you cannot share your life you cannot be truly happy.

This book questioned mainstays of my everyday life, getting away from it all, giving away possessions, taking on a new identity, embarking on an adventure to a place that was quite outside your comfort zone. The thought of such an adventure is really appealing, but many times in the story he pushed the boundaries of his abilities, selfishly made the people who cared for him worry and his actions of recklessness were his demise. This book taught me, quiet moments are important. I have found that while surfing, I extract the everyday noise from my life. My time in the ocean gives me small opportunities to get away from school, my cell phone and people in general; here I feel a small sample of that feeling Chris McCandless

In 1990 at the age of 22, Chris McCandless started his journey to travel the country and live off the land alone. He survived well until he hitchhiked to Alaska in 1992. Chris thought that if he could make it there, he could make it anywhere. Four months after going off the grid in the Alaskan wilderness, his decomposed body was discovered by a party of hunters. The nonfiction novel, Into the Wildby Jon Krakauer, is his story. It has many important themes that define the life of Chris McCandless. A couple themes, for example, are having the feeling of ultimate freedom and seeking happiness through a personal challenge. The theme of having complete freedom is displayed throughout the story in many ways. Chris is one of those people who does not like to follow rules set by anyone other than himself. He certainly did not like anyone telling him what to do. His father...show more content... Everyone personally wants something different. Chris wanted to be able to survive for as long as he could without utilizing the help of any human soul. He learned and studied how to butcher northern animals, which berries and mushrooms were safe, and how to survive in the harsh Alaskan cold; however, sometimes the limitations on specific goals needed to be taken into consideration. Believing that there was nothing he could not do, he may have had too much confidence, which could possibly be a bad thing. He exclaims to Jim Gallien, a truck driver giving him a lift just before he walks into the wilderness, "'I won't run into anything I can't deal with on my own'" (6). His inability to see the restrictions of what he cannot do may have eventually led to his death. In his defense, he was not on a suicide mission; he was prepared not to make it out alive. Chris knew the risks he was taking but saw it as a personal challenge that needed to be

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Dec 9, 2009

Paper #2 Into the Wild

Into the Wild is a book about a young man named Chris McCandless and his decision to go off and live in the wild. He decided to walk deep into the Alaskan wilderness and abandon all of his possessions and family. This book is the authors, Jon Krakauer, version of Chris McCandless' story put together through interviewing and speaking with people who knew Chris as well as by using letters Chris wrote to his loved ones. In my opinion on what motivated Chris McCandless to venture off into the wild was his need to get out of mainstream society and to not live the life that was originally planned out for him. On his journey to Mt. McKinley,Alaska, he met some friends. One in particular was Ron Franz who ...show more content...

Chris is saying that there is no greater pleasure in life than to be able to start over every day that you can. Chris is saying that everyday should be and is a different beginning and that it is a privilege to be able to have a new day every day. Chris is saying that you shouldn't live your life in the same way every day because then you won't experience true happiness. And that being able to have a different beginning each day is an opportunity that you should take advantage of instead of living life in the same way because there is no point or reason to living that way.

"S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August ? (pg. 12)"– Chris McCandless

I wanted to reflect on this quote because it's not your typical quote and it's from the heart. Chris McCandless wrote this note on a torn page from a novel by Nikolay Gogol and it was found taped to his bus door. The note stated that he was injured and was in need of help. He stated that he was near death and practically too weak to hike to safety and was alone. In the note, he sounded very desperate and panicked. He seemed helpless, courageous and at the same time regretful. He seemed helpless because he stated that he was injured and in need of help. He seemed courageous because

Wild, finding himself, he did transform into a better person and knowing what became the true meaning living. Meeting with the Goddess: The Stranger, his love of his life. 1984, he meets Julia and falls in love with her. Into the Wild, in his adventure to finding himself, he meets a woman. The Temptation of Path: The Stranger, his temptation off path became the love of his life. 1984, Winston's temptation off became his lover ( Julia). Into the Wild– before he had to enter into the wild, he had to finish his education. Atonement with father: The Stranger, Meursault kills someone and over the next two weeks, Meursault thinks that life has become a waste of time, he has more to live for,

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Compare with the book called Into the Wild, the documentary, Into The Wild tells me more about the background about Alex, such as his family, his childhood and so on. When I first read about Alex, I admired his courage, since it is really great to know about some of the most adventurous people in the world. However, after watching the documentary about Mr. Alex, actually Mr. Chris, I changed my idea. While Mr Alex tried to avoid his family, it shows that Alex was not the great person as I thought, since he was escaping from his family, ignored the feeling of his family and did not have a responsible attitude for himself. "It(Outside) was, in many ways, a sanctuary. I think one of the things that attracted us as children to being out in nature is those were the most peaceful times with my parents. There wasn't fighting out here. We felt safer outside of our home. And we felt safer with our parents outside of our home."...show more content...

In the book called Into The Wild, Gallien, a driver tried his best to convince Alex that he needs to give up his adventure in Alaska or prepare well in order to survive there. While Alex did not accept Gallien's advice, and died at last. It is really a pity for him to end his journey in this miserable way. Honestly, I view this not just a sad story, but an evidence that shows Alex was not a person with a strong sense of responsibility. Beside, according to his half–sister Shelly, "Around his junior year of college, his disdain for his parents' money had become contempt." Obviously, it is more than just a child's rebellion, and it may show that Alex did not care enough about himself and his life. In the end, this careless and this kind of arrogance that he could make anything lead to his death and the desperation. So it is shown that the adventure in Alaska not only make him look foolish, but also a little bit

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In April of 1992 a young man named Chris McCandless, from a prosperous and loving family, hitchhiked across the country to Alaska. He gave $25,000 of his savings to charity, left his car and nearly all of his possessions. He burned all the cash he had in his wallet, and created a new life. Four months later, his body was found in an abandoned bus. JonKrakauer constructed a journalistic account of McCandless's story. Bordering on obsession, Krakauer looks for the clues to the mystery that is Chris McCandless. What he finds is the intense pull of the wilderness on our imagination, the appeal of high–risk activities to young men. When McCandless's mistakes turn out to be fatal he is dismissed for his naivetГ©. He was said by some to have a...show more content...

So in this way Jon and Chris were alike even though their goals were different. Another way the two were similar was the fact that they both had family problems. Though his parents and sister loved him Chris secretly despised his parents for covering up the fact that his father had been raising two separate families. Just like Chris's father Lewis Krakauer had already begun to prepare him for a career that he didn't want to be any part of. I think both sons were consumed by a sort of blind rage when they found out that their fathers were less than perfect. This anger fueled them to rebel and go against their fathers wishes to make their own futures. The biggest (and most obvious) difference between Jon and Chris is that one died living out his dream and the other lived to walk away from it. Most people would say that Chris failed because his goal was to survive in the wilderness. Others would say that Jon succeeded because he made it too the top and lived to tell his tale. However were the incidents really that different? Chris lived in the Alaskan wilderness almost a hundred days before his fateful mistake that cost him his life. Jon also had a few fateful mistakes that could have cost him his life but didn't, like the time he caught his tent on fire or when his supply plane couldn't come because of bad weather. Most people wouldn't even dream of doing either of these feats. When the risks are as high as either of these men

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Christopher Johnson McCandless walked alone into the Alaskan wilderness with very little equipment and food after traveling to various parts of North America during the course of two years. Regardless of living on his own with not many things for a couple of years, Chris died alone in a bus on the Stampede Trail inAlaska. Author Jon Krakauer wrote a 9,000 word article titled "Death of an Innocent" for the 1993 issue of the magazine Outside. Into the Wildis simply an extension of that article which explains what provoked Chris into living such a life, who he was, and how he died. The author proves to the reader that Chris was an intelligent man by explaining his research about edible plants and his ambition which builds up Chris's...show more content...

This shows that Wayne Westerberg "was both shorthanded and very busy so [Westerberg] asked McCandless to postpone his departure [but] McCandless wouldn't even consider it." Westerberg even offers to buy Chris a plane ticket so that Chris would be able to still make it to Alaska by the time he wanted to and still work an extra ten days. Although Chris refuses saying that it would be cheating by flying, it becomes evident that he gets extremely impatient when even the slightest thing delays him even though Chris does not have a set deadline. Chris is very intelligent and well–educated, and his passion for his Alaska trip helps prove to other people that he is just not doing it on a whim. The author creates Chris's credibility when Chris keeps his promise of keeping in touch with the people he meets and having the impeccable ability to never quitting once he starts something. Jan Burres and her husband, Bob, liked Chris very much and "when [Chris] left, [Jan and Bob] never expected to hear from him again, but [Chris] made a point of staying in touch." Over the course of two years, Chris sends Jan and Bob a postcard every month or two. Without getting too attached, Chris is able to keep his promise of keeping in touch which proves that he is reliable. Westerberg claims that Chris "was the hardest worker [Westerberg had] ever seen" for he would do even the dirtiest of jobs

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