Into the Wild
Essay Prompt
Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan what you will say. Your essay should be
as well organized and carefully written as you can make it.
Jon Krakauer writes, “McCandless didn’t conform particularly well to the bush-casualty stereotype.
Although he was rash, untutored in the ways of the backcountry, and incautious to the point of
foolhardiness, he wasn’t incompetent—he wouldn’t have lasted 113 days if he were. And he wasn’t a
nutcase, he wasn’t a sociopath, he wasn’t an outcast. McCandless was something else—although
precisely what is hard to say. A pilgrim, perhaps” (85).
What was Chris McCandless seeking in the wilderness? Do you think he found it before he died?
Considering these questions and Krakauer’s statement, write an essay in which you define who Chris
McCandless was and explain what he was trying to do.
Support your conclusions with evidence from your notes and your reading of the text.
Tasks:
1. Read and then reread the prompt. Underline the important verbs that tell you what action to perform.
For example, the verbs “define,” “explain,” and “support” are in the above prompt.
2. Identify and explain the argument in the passage. Do you agree or disagree with the author’s basic
position?
3. Create Thinking Maps: Use a Bubble Map to define your analysis of McCandless and supporting
textual evidence/quotes; next, create a Tree Map to outline your essay.
4. Figure out the topics and topic sentences of your body paragraphs, and put them in an outline.
5. Generate a concise introduction to set up the book/context of the essay and then transition to your
thesis.
7. Write the essay: use your tree map/outline to organize your thoughts in response to the topic and
respond to the prompt concisely; insert specific quotes/evidence to support your analysis.
Text Dependent Question: What was Chris McCandless seeking in the wilderness? Do you think he
found it before he died?
Considering these questions and Krakauer’s statement, write an essay in which you define who Chris
McCandless was and explain what he was trying to do.
Support your conclusions with evidence from your notes and your reading of the text.
Text Evidence: Key passages
that define Chris McCandless.
Consider his words, actions,
interactions to others,
observations, and other people’s
perceptions of him.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Signification: Why is this
passage meaningful or
insightful?
Your personal connections