INTRODUCTION
INTO THE WILD
By: Jon Krakauer
Focus
We will be looking at ONE STORY (the true story of
Chris McCandless’s life and death) and seeing what
new information is presented, and how the focus of
the story changes, when it is presented in different
genres/pieces of media by different people.
 We will begin with the non-fiction book Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer, which is the most well-known and
comprehensive piece about Chris’s story.
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Focus continued
We will focus on media issues such as:
-how bias (personal opinion on the part of the author)
affects a story
-the differing structures of written vs. visual texts (like
films)
-conventions of technological and print mediums
(website vs. books)
-the intended/target audience of different kinds of texts
-the purpose of different kinds of media and how they
influence people’s opinions
Origins of the book
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Into the Wild is a non-fiction text published in 1996 that tells a real life
story. Do not refer to it as a novel. Novels are fiction.
It is similar to a biography but does not go in chronological order. It is
more like a written documentary.
It is based on an article that Jon Krakauer wrote about Chris McCandless
in 1993 for Outside magazine, titled “Death of an Innocent”. It generated
so much interest, that he decided to turn it into a book – Into the Wild –
which he spent three years researching and writing.
Synopsis: Chris was a young college graduate who went off to Alaska in
search of a life without the trappings of money and his upper-class
upbringing.
His death is known from page 1 of the book, as this is a true story. As we
read, we will try to uncover the reasons why he rejected his family and
headed for Alaska – the true mystery.
A little more of an overview
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After graduating from Emory University in May 1990, McCandless
ceased communicating with his family, gave away his savings of
$25,000 to OXFAM, which is an organization that works to provide
relief for poverty and hunger, and began traveling.
He abandoned his car and burned all the money in his wallet upon
reaching the desert in Arizona.
In April 1992, after traveling through various parts of the West and Midwest for almost two years, McCandless headed down a snow-covered
trail in Alaska called the Stampede Trail with only ten pounds of rice, a
.22 caliber rifle, a camera, several boxes of rifle rounds, some camping
gear, and a small selection of reading material — including a field guide
to the region's edible plants.
He died sometime in August (five months later), and his decomposed
body was found in early September by a moose hunter. When he was
found, he weighed 67 pounds.
A quote from the person who knew
him best
 “He
didn’t care what people thought of him; he
only cared what he thought of himself.”
-Carine McCandless (his sister)
His Influences…
Chris was influenced by the works of Jack London, who wrote Call of the
Wild, as well as Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, and Leo Tolstoy (Russian
writer/social reformer of a transcendental mindset).
 These authors sought independence and looked for the simplicity of life
(especially within nature).
 Soon, you will be researching the authors/philosophers who influenced him
and figuring out why their words are scattered throughout the book.
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The ever-evolving story
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One of the most interesting things about this book is the fact that it represents an
ever-changing story that you can actually be a part of.
After the book Into the Wild was published in 1996, a movie version came out in
2007 (written and directed by Sean Penn), which was in the works for a long time.
The movie version reveals some truths about Chris’s family life not shown in the
book per his sister’s request.
Still other sources between 2007 and now have surfaced, further examining the
nuances of Chris’s story—blogs, articles, opinion pieces, experiments trying to
figure out the scientific reason behind his death, letters from his sister and halfsiblings detailing their violent home life, etc.
Back to the Wild – a foundation headed by Chris’s parents which sells a book/DVD
of photographs of his journey, with the proceeds going to charity.
The Wild Truth---a memoir by Carine McCandless that just came out, which,
according to Carine, tells their complete family history and all its turmoil, which
drove Chris away.
Carine makes herself accessible for fans of the book and her brother through her
Facebook page memorializing him, and other avenues, such as live Q&As on
Reddit, TV interviews, and (somewhat pricy) speaking engagements at schools.
Chris McCandless as portrayed by
Emile Hirsch in the 2007 film version
The real Chris McCandless
Author’s Note Discussion Questions
Read the Author’s Note and write answers to these questions in
your notebook.
1. According to paragraph 3, what might Chris’s motives been for
his behavior? What else do you think motivated him based on
what we discussed in the background presented to you?
2. In paragraph 4, Krakauer introduces some themes/larger
subjects tackled in the book. Identify these themes and explain
why you think they are important in life.
3. In paragraph 5, Krakauer warns us that he will not be an
impartial biographer. What does this mean? Why do you think
Krakauer wrote this book?
4. Who do you think is the intended audience for this book and
why?
What to look for in independent
research