by: John Krakauer
Author: Jon Krakauer
• “Adventure” enthusiast
• Experienced hiker, climber, and writer
– Eiger Dreams
– Into Thin Air
– Under the Banner of Heaven
– editor of the Modern Library Exploration
series
 Does our society allow us to find true happiness
and fulfillment? Have you ever felt as though you
needed to get away from what you knew in order to
learn more about yourself or life in general?
 What would you do if you felt as though you
needed a radical change in your life to find
meaning in living? Would you take the chance or
would you keep on living the way you always did?
W. H. Davies
Money, O!
When I had money, money, O!
I knew no joy till I went poor;
For many a false man as a friend
Came knocking all day at my door.
So, when I hear these poor ones laugh,
And see the rich ones coldly frown
Poor men, think I, need not go up
So much as rich men should come down.
Then felt I like a child that holds
A trumpet that he must not blow
Because a man is dead; I dared
Not speak to let this false world know.
When I had money, money, O!
My many friends proved all untrue;
But now I have no money, O!
My friends are real, though very few.
Much have I thought of life, and seen
How poor men's hearts are ever light;
And how their wives do hum like bees
About their work from morn till night.
Chris McCandless
• “Alexander Supertramp”
• Decomposed body found in bus (Alaska)
in September 1992
• From affluent East Coast family
• Emory University alumni (1990)
• Two-year “odyssey” from 1990-1992
He grew up in an upper-class family and graduated
from the renowned Emory University (Atlanta,
Georgia) in 1990.
He was influenced by authors and philosophers
who viewed materialism as empty and unfulfilling
McCandless began embarking on solitary
trips with no money, hitchhiking and
depending on gifts and odd jobs to survive.
In 1992, he decided to travel alone to Alaska,
where he hoped to live off of the land and find
meaning in his life. He never returned.
The story of his life and death was made into a major
motion picture, Into the Wild, in 2007.
The Media
The Media
• “Death of an Innocent”
– 9,000-word article by Jon Krakauer appeared
in Outside, Jan. 1993
• Into the Wild novel by Jon Krakauer
published 1996
• “The Cult of Chris McCandless”
– article by Matthew Power appeared in Men’s
Journal, Sept. 2007
• Into the Wild film produced 2007
• Note: various other articles have been written in addition to
television interviews and coverage.
Quick Write #1: Future Plans
• Think about some alternative
plans you might have instead of
beginning college immediately
after high school. What might
you do, why would you do it, and
how long do you see yourself in
this activity? (Get specific!)
Author’s Note
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How long did Chris McCandless’ journey in the
Alaskan wilderness last?
Immediately after graduating from Emory
University in 1990, Chris McCandless dropped out of
sight. List 5 things that he did to support his “plan”.
What are some themes Krakauer mentions are the
result of his “meandering inquiry”?
What do you think Krakauer means when he states
“I won’t claim to be an impartial biographer”?
What reason does Krakauer offer for writing this
book?
Chapter 1: “The Alaska Interior”
1. According to the text, is McCandless
certain that he will survive? (p.3)
ex: According to the postcard that
“Alex” wrote to Westerberg, he has some
doubt that he will survive when he says,
“…should this adventure prove fatal..”
2. Why does Krakauer emphasize the gear
that McCandless took with him to Alaska?
Jack London (1876-1916)
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Born in San Francisco to
a poor family
As a child he was an avid
reader, especially stories
of real-life adventure
As a teen he joined the
“oyster pirates” and was a
sailor
Attended HS for one year,
passed the entrance
exams for UC Berkeley,
but quit halfway through
freshman year (did some
writing)
Jack London continued
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1897-took off to prospect for gold in the Klondike (part
of Yukon Territory in NW Canada), got sick, and
returned in less than a year
Klondike experience convinced him that “life is a
struggle in which the strong survive and the weak do
not”
Short stories and novels dramatize his belief that
“civilized” beings are either destroyed or re-created in
savage environments
– Call of the Wild & White Fang
Millionaire, but an alcoholic, London suffered from
kidney disease and depression
– Pain was unendurable, so he committed suicide
(drugs) and died at age 40
White Fang
• The remarkable story of a
fiercely independent
creature of the wild.
• In the desolate, frozen
wilds of north-west
Canada, a wolf-cub soon
finds himself the sole
survivor of his litter. Son
of Kiche-half-wolf, halfdog- and the aging wolf
One Eye, he is thrust into
a savage world where
each day becomes a fight
to stay alive.
The Call of the Wild
•
When gold was discovered in the Yukon
in 1896, Jack London caught the fever
and rushed off to the northlands to try his
luck. When he returned home, he had
not mined an ounce of gold but brought
back a greater treasure—vivid
recollections of rugged life in the frozen
wastelands. London converted his
experiences into exciting adventure
tales, including The Call of the Wild,
which has been called his masterpiece.
The Call of the Wild continued
•
It tells the story of the
magnificent dog Buck,
who is a loyal pet until
cruel men make him a
pawn in their search for
the gold of the Klondike.
Brutally treated, Buck
finds the blood of his
world ancestors rising
within him and breaks
free to roam the Alaskan
wilderness as leader of
a ferocious pack.
Chapter 2: “The Stampede Trail”
1. Why do you think Krakauer begins with a
passage from Jack London’s White
Fang? Explain his purpose including
textual evidence in your response.
2. What details does Krakauer give when
describing the remains of Chris
McCandless?
Leo Tolstoy: 1828-1910
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Russian
Studied law and
Oriental languages
at Kazan University
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–
teachers said he
was “unwilling and
unable to learn”
diaries reveal his
“insatiable thirst for a
rational and moral
justification of life”
Tolstoy continued
•
Military experience, but later a pacifist
and considered a “moral” philosopher
– Influenced Gandhi and MLK, Jr.
•
Drifted towards a more oriental
worldview with Buddhist overtones,
– learned to feel himself in other living
creatures
•
Realist fiction, realistic depiction of 19thcentury Russian life
– War and Peace & Anna Karenina
Quick Write #2: Beliefs
• Think about some of YOUR
beliefs. What do you believe in?
Why? How do your beliefs shape
who you are? Where does your
set of beliefs come from? What
do your beliefs “look” like?
Chapter 3: “Carthage”
1. Who is Wayne Westerberg? How would you
describe him?
2. What do we learn about Chris McCandless
through Westerberg’s testimonial?
3. What does Chris give Wayne before leaving
Carthage? Why do you think he gave it to
him?
4. Where is Chris originally from?
5. What was Chris’ home life like? Explain.
Chapter 4: “Detrital Wash”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Create a timeline of events for chapters 4 and 5.
What “unnecessary baggage” does Chris shed?
Who are Jan Burres and Bob? How does Chris
keep in touch with them?
Once he reaches the Colorado River, where does
Chris travel and how? What was his ultimate
goal? How does he end up achieving this goal?
Chapter 5: “Bullhead City”
1. Describe the contrast between the
Mcdonalds employee’s perception Chris
and his own description of his situation.
2. What physical changes has Chris
undergone? Propose, with support, the
emotional changes that you see in him.
Henry David Thoreau: 1817-1862
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Transcendentalist
“He seemed born for great enterprise
and for command.” – Emerson (about
Thoreau)
Abandons life in society and moves to
Walden Pond. Writes Walden.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet
desperation.” -- Thoreau
“I wish to meet the facts of life.” –
Thoreau
His essay, Civil Disobedience, inspired
the idea of passive resistance used by
Gandhi and MLK Jr.
Chapter 6: “Anza-Borrego”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who is Ron Franz? How did he meet Chris?
List three pieces of information from Franz’s
background story. Why might Krakauer spend time
explaining Franz’s background?
List five items that Chris etches into his leather belt.
While “riding the rails” Chris encounters a “bull”. From
the context of the story, what is a bull?
In his letter to Ron, what advice does Chris give?
Does Ron take Chris’s advice? Do you agree with the
advice given? Would you take it? Explain.
Chapter 7: “Carthage”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How do Wayne Westerberg’s girlfriend, Gail
Borah, and his mother, Mary, react to Chris
McCandless?
List three things you learn about Chris that might
point to his innocence.
List three things you learn about Chris that might
point to his arrogance.
How does Chris plan to travel to Alaska? Why
does he choose this method?
Reread the postcards that Chris sends to Wayne
Westerberg and Jan Burres. Was Chris expecting
to die? Defend your answer.
Chapters 8-10: “Alaska” “Davis
Gulch” “Fairbanks”
1.
2.
3.
Look at the epigraph at the beginning of Ch. 8, on
page 70. Why were these two quotes placed
together?
On page 71 Nick Jans offers the following criticism:
“I’ve run into several McCandless types out in the
country. Same story: idealistic, energetic young guys
who overestimated themselves, underestimated the
country, and ended up in trouble.” Do you agree with
Jans? Was Chris naïve and ignorant?
What is the purpose of using the stories of other
people in chapters 8-9? What do you think is
Krakauer’s reasoning behind this choice?
Quick Write #3: What’s in a Name?
• What’s in a Name?
• Does it matter that we have the
name we were given by our
parents?
• How do you feel when you are
called by the wrong name?
Boris Pasternak: 1890-1960
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Russian poet and novelist born in Moscow
to a cultured Jewish family
Best known for his novel, Dr. Zhivago
(1957)
Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958
Presented Zhivago's inability to influence his
own fate not as a fault, but as a sign that he
was destined to become an artistic witness
to the tragedy of his age. (War and
revolution).
“I don't like people who have never fallen or
stumbled. Their virtue is lifeless and it isn't
of much value. Life hasn't revealed its
beauty to them.” – Boris Pasternak
Doctor Zhivago
• First published in Italy in
1957 amidst international
controversy, DZ is the
story of the life an loves of
a poet/physician during the
turmoil of the Russian
Revolution. Here is a
masterful chronicle of its
outbreak and chronicles:
army revolts, irrational
killings, starvation,
epidemics, Communist
party inquisitions.
Doctor Zhivago continued
• Taking his family from
Moscow to what he hopes
will be shelter in the Ural
Mountains, Zhivago finds
himself instead embroiled
in the battle between the
Whites and Reds. Set
against this backdrop of
cruelty and strife is
Zhivago’s love for the
tender and beautiful Lara:
pursued, found, and lost
again, Lara is the very of
the pain and chaos of
those cataclysmic times.
Chapters 11-13 “Chesapeake Beach”
“Annandale” “Virginia Beach”
1. What did Chris learn about his family on his
first trip across the country and how did this
knowledge affect him?
2. What are some quotes that
represent characteristics of Chris's parents?
3. Compare and Contrast the bond between a
mother/son and father/son how are they the
same? Different?
Chapters 14 & 15:
“The Stikine Ice Cap”
1. What is Krakauer’s opinion of Chris’ death and
how does he come to this conclusion?
2. How old was Krakauer when he made his first
climb?
3. How did Krakauer prepare for his climb?
4. What are some of the mistakes Krakauer made
that could have proved fatal?
5. Compare Krakauer with Chris. Consider their
adventures, endeavors, and families.
Chapters 14 & 15:
“The Stikine Ice Cap” continued
6.
Krakauer says that he suffered from hubris, exaggerated
pride, in his younger years. How does Chris suffer from
hubris?
7. Why does Krakauer use author intervention in these two
chapters? Is it effective?
8. How does the placement of these two chapters contribute
to the development of the plot? Should they be in another
section of the novel? Should they be omitted? Explain.
9. At the end of chapter 15, Krakauer says that surviving his
Alaska adventure was due to chance. Did Chris die
because of chance, fate, environment, heredity or other
sources? In the author’s note, Krakauer mentions that his
opinion about McCandless will be apparent in the novel.
What is his opinion?
10. Do you agree or disagree with Krakauer’s convictions of
Chris McCandless? Explain.
Quick Write #4: C/C Chris vs. Alex
• Compare and contrast Chris as a teen
to Chris/Alex as an adult
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What are your impressions of him at each
stage of his life?
How has he changed? Grown?
Which incidents in the novel helped create
this impression? Do you think your
impression might/ will change? Explain.
The Naturalists’ Philosophy
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The Naturalists were a group of scientists/writers who
presented a new way of thinking at the turn of the 20th
Century.
Beliefs
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Everyone is born with the history and knowledge of
his/her ancestors.
The knowledge lies dormant until factors bring it out.
The Naturalists focused on the excess of “Human
Nature.”
Lust, Greed, Evil, Murder, Crime
The Naturalists’ Philosophy
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Foundation was based on Charles Darwin’s Philosophy.
Everyone is an animal
Man has evolved, but he has retained certain animalistic
qualities.
Survival of the Fittest
True self is revealed once a person is taken away from
society.
Society = Laws and Reason
Society governs our behavior.
What if you take the person away from society and place him
in the primitive?
The Naturalists’ Philosophy
Heredity + Chance + Environment
= Fate
Quick Write #5 – H+C+E=F
Look at yourself – how has this
philosophy affected you?
Chapter 16: “The Alaska Interior”
1. Discuss the concept of chance/luck (both good
and bad) and the role it plays in Chris
McCandless’ fate in the Alaskan bush.
2. Was Chris a victim of bad luck? To what
degree did he have control over the events
that occurred during his 4 months stay in the
Alaskan bush? Cite textual evidence to
support your answer.
Chapter 17: “The Stampede Trail”
1.
2.
Roman Dial states, “Sure he screwed up, but I
admire what he was trying to do. Living
completely off the land like that, month after
month, is incredibly difficult. I’ve never done it…
Living in the interior bush for an extended period,
subsisting on nothing except what you hunt and
gather—most people have no idea how hard that
actually is. And McCandless almost pulled it off”
(185).
Do you respect Chris for what he tried to
accomplish? Why or why not? Support your
response with textual evidence.
Chapter 18:”The Stampede Trail”
1. Now that you have completed the reading for Into
The Wild, you should have a much better
understanding of Chris McCandless’ intentions
and whether or not he was prepared for his trip
into the Alaskan bush. Do you think he knew what
he was doing, or do you think that he was illprepared and may have had a death wish? State
which position you believe to be true and support
your response with evidence. Then provide
evidence and give a counter-argument against
those who would disagree with your opinion.
from
Education of a Wondering Man
• “We are finally, all wonderers, in search of
knowledge. Most of us hold the dream of
becoming something better than we are,
something larger, richer in some way more
important to the world and ourselves. Too
often, the way taken is the wrong way,
with too much emphasis on what we want
to have, rather than what we wish to
become.” Louis L’Amour
Final Images
Hero or Tragic Figure? Writing an
Opinion Piece
 Introduction: Do you feel that McCandless’ story has
been overly romanticized? Should it have been
published into a book and made into a film?
 Body paragraphs (2-3): What is the meaning in all of
this? Is there a lesson to take away or is this just a
character study of an interesting, if not flawed, young
man? Be specific! Add INTEGRATED quotes from the
article to back up your POV. Remember to include
parenthetical citation.
 Conclusion: Ultimately, is McCandless an admirable
young man, or a tragic figure to learn from?
Chapters 1-10
Who was the last person
to see Chris McCandless
Alive?
What nickname did Chris
McCandless give himself?
McCandless’ body was found
in:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Airplane
Boat
Car
Canoe
Bus
How did McCandless die?
What type of car did
Chris drive?
Where was his car found?
Where was McCandless
camping when he met Ron
Franz?
What leather item did
Chris make with Franz?
How did McCandless enter
Mexico?
Because Jan Buress was estranged
from her son, she:
a) Hired a private investigator
b) Contacted Chris’s parents
c) Tried to get Chris to contact
his parents
d) Adopted Chris
When Franz learns of Chris’s
death, he:
a) Committs suicide
b) Becomes an atheist
c) Gets drunk and adopts kids
d) Burns Chris’s letters
It is clear that Chris is closest
with:
a) His Dad Walt
b) His Mom Billie
c) His Boyscout Leader Ted
d) His Sister Carine
What Instrument does
Chris surprise Wayne
Westerberg by playing
well?
All of the following are true about Gene
Rosellini except:
a) He lived to be 101
b) His father was very wealthy
c) He wanted to be independent from tech.
d) He was known as the mayor of hippie cove
e) He fatally wounded himself with a knife
All of the following are true about John
Watermann except:
a) He spent 145 days alone on Mt. Hunter
b) He was abandoned by his father
c) He wanted to legalize drugs and unrestrict
sex for minors.
d) His brother committed him to a psych
ward
e) He wore a black cape and Elton John
glasses
All of the following are true about Carl
McCunn except:
a) He was killed by a rabid racoon
b) He tried to get a woman to join him on his
adventure
c) He threw several boxes of ammunition in
the lake.
d) He shot himself in the head
e) He forgot to arrange a flight back to town
The nickname that Everett Ruess
carved into a rock was:
a) Frodo
b) Wily Coyote
c) Lone Ranger
d) Nemo
Krakauer provides all of the following
possibilities for Everrett Ruess’ demise,
except:
a) He was killed by cattle rustlers
b) He committed suicide
c) He is still alive and living with the Navajo
d) He fell off a cliff
e) He drowned, crossing a river
Who is the first of Walt’s kids to
be contacted by the Alaska State
Troopers regarding Chris’s body?
Which person does Krakauer
believe was MOST like
McCandless:
a) Everett Ruess
b) Gene Rosellini
c) Carl McCunn
d) John Watermann