English 450 – Essay # 3 – Argument
Congratulations on making it to this point of the semester! You’ve had to put forth a great deal of
effort, but hopefully, you’ve already started to see significant progress in both your approach to writing
and in your writing itself.
So far, we’ve practiced description and narration; for Essay # 3, you will be writing an argument essay
on a topic from Into the Wild. You may find it helpful to refer to your notes or to Chapter 10 (277286) to review the steps to writing an effective argument paper.
When it’s time to write, begin your essay with a hook and enough background information to
familiarize your readers with your topic. Be sure your first paragraph includes a clear statement of
your position and a specific list of reasons. In your body paragraphs, provide support for these
reasons; introduce opposing viewpoints; and undermine these viewpoints. You are required to
integrate at least one quote from Into the Wild. Wrap up your essay with a conclusion that proposes a
compromise or that shows the significance of your topic. Of course, you will need to decide on your
audience and then adapt your tone accordingly, while maintaining good overall organization.
Here are the topics to choose from:
1) Do you agree with Chris McCandless’s opinion that graduating from college is “an absurd
and onerous duty”? (22)
2) Do you agree with McCandless’s assertion that, “nothing is more damaging to the
adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living
spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new
experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon,
for each day to have a new and different sun”? (57)
3) Do you agree with Gene Rosellini’s belief that humans have “devolved into progressively
inferior beings”? (74)
4) Do you fault Chris for breaking all ties with his family?
5) What’s your opinion of Chris McCandless? Do you see him as arrogant, selfish,
disrespectful, or ignorant? Do you see him as noble, determined, brave, or extraordinary?
6) What is Chris McCandless’s biggest character flaw?
7) What is Jon Krakauer’s opinion of Chris McCandless?
8) Do Krakauer’s profiles and autobiographical anecdote add to or detract from the book?
9) What’s your opinion of Into the Wild?
10) How does the documentary The Call of the Wild affect your opinion of Into the Wild?
Your essay should be at least two pages long and should meet the format specifications listed on page
two of the syllabus. Your thesis statement is due in class on ____________. Two typed copies of your
complete rough draft are due for a peer critique on ____________. A revised copy of your essay is
due on ____________. On that day, you will be given an opportunity to revise your essay one last
time. Any changes you make should be typed and submitted in class on ____________.
Please feel free to stick around after class, meet with me during office hours (T/Th 8:30-9:30, 12:302:00), or reach me by email (deckard.hodge@chaffey.edu) if you have any questions or simply wish to
talk about the writing process. This paper is worth twenty percent of your overall grade for the
semester, so please do your best to show improvement, and remember to have some fun!