INTO THE WILDBy Jon Krakauer

In Alaska

20. CH. 7 & 8 EPIGRAPHS

Read chapter 7’s epigraph by Anthony Storr.

1. By including this epigraph, what is Krakauersuggesting about McCandless?

Read chapter 8’s epigraph by Theodore Roszak.

2. What does it suggest about McCandless?

Read chapter 8’s epigraph by Edward Hoagland.

3. What does this passage suggest about McCandless?

20. CH. 7 & 8 EPIGRAPHS

In Carine McCandless’ memoir The Wild Truth (2014), Jon Krakauer writes in her Foreward:

It’s not uncommon for sources to ask journalists to treat certain pieces of information as confidential or “off the record,” . . . I thought that I could convey what I’d learned from [Carine] obliquely, between the lines, without violating [her] trust. I was confident I could provide enough indirect clues for readers . . .

4. How might the epigraphs from chapters 7 and 8 be clues to McCandless’ “seemingly inexplicable behavior”?

21. CHAPTER 8 & 9 NOTES

Krakauer lists and describes several others who have ventured into the wild in search of proving themselves against nature, only to meet untimely ends:

• a “counterculture idealist” (no trace)

• a Vietnam Vet (starved)

• a “wayward genius” Krakauer himself met named

gene Rosellini (suicide?)

• John Waterman (suicide?)

• Carl McCunn (suicide)

1. Read the two full paragraphs on page 85 and record why Krakauer dedicates this chapter to these men, their motives, and their ends.

21. CHAPTER 8 & 9 NOTES

Krakauer dedicates almost the entirety of chapter 9 to another adventurer — Everett Ruess (1914-1934).

2. Read Ruess’ letters on pp. 91 and compare them to Chris McCandless’ writings.

Krakauer provides another clue to Chris’ motivation—the Irish monks, called Papar, of the 5th and 6th century:

• Sought to find lonely places in which to dwell in peace, away from the world and its tempatations.

3. Why did Krakauer include this chapter?

Davis Gulch, Utah

22. CHAPTER 10 “FAIRBANKS”Chapter 10 is dedicated to revealing how those who were close to Chris found out about his death, and how they reacted. As we read, record what you learn about:

1. Jim Gallien

2. Wayne Westerberg

3. Chris’ mother and father, Billie and Walt McCandless

23. BORIS PASTERNAK: 1890-1960

• 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.

• “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

24. “SOCIETY” BY EDDIE VEDDER

• Listen to the song “Society” by Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild soundtrack, 2007)

1. Identify specific lyrics that demonstrate Vedder’s claim about society. Record his claim in your own words.

2. In one sentence, write to what extent you agree or disagree with his claim.

3. Identify specific lyrics that demonstrate how characters from the book view society.

4. Identify specific lyrics that demonstrate how Chris McCandless views society.

5. According to this song, why might people choose to exclude themselves from society? Would you? Why or why not?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm8oxC24QZc

25. VOCABULARY CHAPTER 11

• Taciturn

• Volatility

• Chastened

• Convergence

• Trajectory

• Wanderlust

• Nuance

• Rudimentary

• Inequities

• Ceded

25. CH. 11: “CHESAPEAKE BEACH”

1. What are some quotes that represent characteristics of Chris's parents? List them separately for Billie and for Walt.

2. How does Chris’ sister, Carine, describe him? Describe their relationship.

3. What did Chris inherit/learn from his maternal grandfather, Loren Johnson?

4. Read the first full paragraph on page 112. Explain the last sentence based on what you already know about Chris.

5. List five of Chris’ characteristics shared by people in this chapter. Explain the characteristic and who shared it.

26. QUICKWRITE

• How do families and upbringing influence the decisions we make in life? In what capacity? Give an example to illustrate your argument.

27. CH. 12 & 13: “ANNADALE” & “VIRGINIA BEACH”

1. Jack London was not the adventurer he proposed to be in his books and Walt McCandless was not the ideal father he purported to be. Why did Chris judge these men so differently for their shortcomings?

2. Henry David Thoreau wrote, “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth” (117). Chris highlighted this passage and wrote “truth” above it. Why do you think McCandless identified with this quote?

3. Think about Chris’s relationship with his family. Does the inclusion of this back story make us more or less sympathetic to him? Do you sympathize with his parents? His sister Carine?

4. How does Carine respond to the news of Chris’s death? Provide a quote that demonstrates how she dealt with the news.

5. Chapters 10-13 fill in many gaps: Chris’ relationships with his family, his upbringing, developing ideals and principles, as well as reactions to his death by family members. What is significant about learning these facts after learning about his death and how he spent the short months leading up to it?

28. ANALYZING FAMILY DYNAMICS

Consider what you now know about McCandless’s family history:

1. Characterize each of the McCandless family members: Walt, Billie, and Carine. What does Krakauer convey as their strengths and weaknesses?

2. Was McCandless reasonable in his reaction to his parents’ past? Should he have forgiven them?

3. Does Chris’ anger at his parents explain the decisions that he made?

29. CHAPTER 14 REVIEW

Krakauer’s claim, presented at the beginning of Ch. 14:Based on McCandless’ last postcard to Westerberg, many speculated that “the boy had been bent on suicide from the beginning, that when he walked into the bush, he had no intention of ever walking out again. I’m not so sure, however.” (134)

Krakauer’s support? Climbing the Devils Thumb:• “As I formulated my plan to climb the Thumb, I was dimly aware that I

might be getting in over my head. But that only added to the scheme’s appeal. That it wouldn’t be easy was the whole point.” (135)

• “I climbed in my car and headed for Alaska. I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.” (136)

• “Because I was alone, even the mundane seemed charged with meaning…my emotions were amplified.” (138)

• “The accumulated clutter of day-to-day existence…all of it temporarily forgotten, crowded from your thoughts by an overpowering clarity of purpose and by the seriousness of the task at hand.” (143)

29. CHAPTER 15 REVIEW

More support for his claim? Krakauer reflects on his 23-year-old self:

• “The idea of my own death—was still largely outside my conceptual grasp.” (151)

• “It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve…” (155)

A final and explicit comparison:• “I possessed neither [Chris’] intellect nor his lofty ideals. But …

we were similarly affected by the skewed relationships we had with our fathers. And … we had a similar intensity, a similar heedlessness, a similar agitation of the soul.” (155)

• “I now recognize that I suffered from hubris, perhaps, and an appalling innocence, certainly; but I wasn’t suicidal.” (155)

30. QUICKWRITE

What draws individuals to such high risk activities, like those of Krakauer and McCandless? Is it a lack of comprehending their own mortality (as Krakauer argues)? Is it a wish for death? Is it something else? Explain with evidence.

31. THE NATURALIST PHILOSOPHY

The Naturalists were a group of scientists/writers who presented a new way of thinking about life and nature at the turn of the 20th Century.

Beliefs

• Natural laws and forces rule the world.

• Everyone is born with the history and knowledge of his/her ancestors.

• This knowledge lies dormant until factors and events bring it out.

• The Naturalists used the excess of “Human Nature” to support their claim:• Lust, Greed, Evil, Murder, Crime

31. THE NATURALIST PHILOSOPHY

Heredity + Chance + Environment = Fate

Quick Write: H+C+E=FJon Krakauer seems to be a naturalist. In quotes we have examined, he explains his behavior, and Chris’, in these terms.

How does this naturalist philosophy look when you apply it to your life? How does your life fit into this equation?

Draw a model equation using elements of your life for each element. Use pictures, if you prefer, or words to illustrate the elements.

32. CH. 16: “THE ALASKA INTERIOR”

1. Discuss the concept of chance and/or luck and the role it plays in Chris McCandless’ fate. Refer to the river, hunting game, and the bus in your explanation.

2. After describing the extended ride McCandless takes with Gaylord Stuckey, Krakauer recalls the first chapter by reintroducing the reader to Jim Gallien. Why does Krakauer bring the reader full circle in this way? What is the effect?

3. To what degree did McCandless seem to have control over the events that occurred during his four-month stay in the Alaskan bush? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.

33. CH. 17: “THE STAMPEDE TRAIL”

This chapter focuses on Krakauer again, as he tries to make sense of McCandless’s choices and his fate.

1. Speculate as to why Krakauer illustrates his own ordeal crossing the Teklanika River. What is the purpose?

2. Describe Krakauer’s arrival at the bus and some of the items he finds there. What is the intended effect on the reader? Describe Krakauer’s reaction to what he sees.

3. Krakauer introduces yet another explorer that is often compared to McCandless, Sir John Franklin. Why are the two so often compared to each other, and what does Krakauer think of the comparison?

34. QUICKWRITE

Read the second full paragraph on page 182 starting wtih:

“It is hardly unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders; …”

Krakauer expands on this claim later. Read the paragraph on page 184 which starts with,

“It would be easy to stereotype…”

This seems to be Krakauer’s thesis, of sorts. If so, what claim is he making? Based on that claim, what might be Krakauer’s purpose in writing this book?

35. CH. 18:”THE STAMPEDE TRAIL”

• 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 was prepared and knew what he was doing, or do you think that he was ill-prepared and may have had a death wish?

• State which position you believe to be true and support your response with a strong piece of evidence. Then provide a qualification statement acknowledging an opposing view. Lastly, provide a rebuttal and at least 2 pieces of evidence to support your position against those who would disagree.

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