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English 3
December 13 2019
No Ordinary Adventurer
John Krakauer argues that Chris’ upbringing helped him further down the road and prepared him
for the journey ahead within ​Into the Wild​; likewise, Anthony Storr identifies this argument
within ​Solitude: A Return to the Self​. During chapter seven of ​Into the Wild​, Krakauer uses
rhetorical devices, such as comparisons many times throughout the chapter. One of these uses
happens when Krakauer recounts Chris’ relationship with his father, Walt. Krakauer states, “both
father and son were stubborn and high-strung. Given Walt’s need to exert control and Chris’
extravagantly independent nature, polarization was inevitable... Eventually, Chris rebelled-and
when he finally did, it was with characteristic immoderation”(64). Krakauer goes back to Chris’
childhood to show his upbringing and its affiliation to his passion for the wilderness. He implies
that this passion is a direct result of the state of adolescence, where Chris frequently argued with
his father. This connection is further supported by the introduction to the paragraph. Krakauer,
for this purpose, chose an excerpt from a renowned psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and author
Anthony Storr’s bestselling and widely acknowledged book ​Solitude: a Return to the Self.​ This
book was initially released in 1988 as a meditation book. Over time, it gained multiple positive
reviews and became a bestseller. The book references the fact that relationships play a large role
in human happiness, and a rough upbringing may have a direct impact later on in life. This is
demonstrated in an excerpt, which Krakauer chose as a preface to chapter 7. “It is also true that,
in some instances, trauma, in the shape of early separation or bereavement, has steered the
potentially creative person toward developing aspects of his personality which can find
fulfillment in comparative isolation”(61). Krakauer’s epigraph of choice directly relates to Chris
and displays him in a positive light. The epigraph shows the relationship between childhood
trauma and actions taken later in life. Even though some may consider Chris’ trauma as
something ineligible to be even classified as trauma, Krakauer argues that in Chris’ eyes, it had a
profound negative impact on him. This trauma is being argued as being the main reason for
Chris’ love for the outdoors and adventure, in turn helping him survive for such a long period in
the wilderness, something an inexperienced person would not be able to do. This is, in fact, John
Krakauer’s main point; to prove Chris’ experience by showing and explaining the relationship
between his upbringing and adult life, and his preparation and readiness for the wild. He uses a
multitude of rhetorical devices to prove this point but in chapter seven, including the epigraph,
he uses comparisons, to illustrate that Chris McCandless’ upbringing had a direct impact on his
adult life and his adventures throughout the US.