ipl-logo

A Literary Analysis Of Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

634 Words3 Pages

A Literary Analysis Of Into The Wild Nature always captivates the attention of humanity. People flock to national and state parks to see these natural beauties. Families, friend groups, and honeymooners all travel to see the same sites. These moments need to be cherished. In the nonfiction novel Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, the story of Chris McCandless and compares it to the stories of Chris McCandless, Everett Ruess, John Waterman, Carl McCunn, and his own, in the wilderness. All of their stories, with Krakauer the exception, end with death. This novel produces two themes: Nature holds the eye of man as a beauty that contains wonders and dangers, and people should go out and explore despite the risks. The other theme, however, both contradicts …show more content…

When one lays eyes on these beauties, one cannot help, but wonder if there is a greater power at work. Chris McCandless tells one of the people he meets on the road, Ron Franz, that,“get out of Salton City, put a little camper on the back of your pickup, and start seeing the great work that God has done here in the American West….you will be very, very glad that you did it”(Krakauer, 58). In this letter from McCandless to Franz, McCandless tells Franz to go out and live life the way he believes God intended, to enjoy what He created. The idea of living off the land appeals to many people, as shown by the novel. All of the stories show that some people will risk their lives to see the true beauties of nature. By going out into nature, they live life they way they want it. They destroy the boundaries that society set out for them and become nonconformists. McCandless and the other people mentioned in the book are scrutinized for living off the land. All but one of the people, who go and live off the land, die and cause their families pain. They knew the risks, yet they went out and did what they wanted. They lived with nature and enjoyed their life to the fullest: however, they died and were greatly missed by their families

Show More
Related
741 Words | 3 Pages

This book starts with the founding of Christopher McCandless’s body by a bunch of Alaskan hunters in a bus. The law enforcement then comes to remove his body. Jon Krakauer writes about this while writing for “Outside Magazine” and become very curious about this story. To find out more Krakauer pays a visit to a man named Wayne Westerberg, who says that he knew Christopher McCandless as “Alex McCandless” and he then gives a sketch of the young man’s character while in Carthage Wisconsin. He states that he used McCandless from time to time on his grain elevator and from his memories views him as participating, smart, and determined.

Read More
200 Words | 1 Pages

John Krakauer’s account of the journey of Chris McCandless has inspired many other people to seek out the beauty of nature. Why would a story with such a tragic ending cause others to do exactly what in the end killed McCandless? Perhaps it’s because Krakauer depicts Chris as a hardworking honest young man, who throughout his journey uncovered many truths about life. Maybe it’s because Krakauer includes so many passages talking about the beauty and simplicity of nature. Possibly this inspiration is contributed to because Krakauer chalks the death of McCandless up to chance.

Read More
1196 Words | 5 Pages

Kyle Yin Ms. Everett ERWC, 2, 10 3 February 2023 Chris McCandless: Idealism and Imperfection In April of 1992, a young man named Chris McCandless walked into the Alaskan wilderness alone and attempted to survive off the land. 113 days later, his body was found by hunters, dead of starvation. Four years later, the author Jon Krakauer picked up on his story and published the book, Into The Wild, detailing McCandless’ story and eventual death. McCandless went into the wild to follow his very specific ideals:

Read More
437 Words | 2 Pages

The compelling novel Into The Wild, by American Journalist Jon Krauker is an inspirational and deep look inside the mind and life of a beloved young adventure Chris McCandless. Krauker himself was once a adventure, who also faced many obstacles throught his endevers. Krauker uses Retorical Stratieges in Into The Wild to show readers that know matter the outcome of the adventure, its the lessons of perseverance and determination that is ones biggest success. Chris McCandless is seen by many as careless, naive, and reckless. Krauker however viewed Chris as brave and just being young.

Read More
347 Words | 2 Pages

“‘This is the last you will hear from me…I now walk into the wild’” (Krauker, 69) Jon Krauker’s suspenseful novel, Into the Wild, gives an intricate insight into the life and death of Chris McCandless. He knows this trip could be fatal, but he does it anyway, ignoring the fact that his parents and family still cared about him. He was being ignorant toward the people who warned him about going into Alaska on his own and toward his family.

Read More
722 Words | 3 Pages

His solitary expeditions in remote mountain ranges reflect his independent spirit and his desire to test himself against the forces of nature, and through his experiences in the mountains, he develops a sense of humility and respect for the power of the natural world. The portrayal of nature in both works affects the characters in different ways. As for McCandless, nature serves as a mirror reflecting his inner struggles and desires, leading to his tragic end. In McCandless’s story, as depicted in Jon Krakaure’s book “Into the Wild”, nature is shown as a place of solitude and set-discovery for McCandless. He seeks solace and meaning in the wilderness, but ultimately faces the harsh realities of survival in the wild.

Read More
1412 Words | 6 Pages

In the book Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, is about a guy name Chris McCandless who graduated from college and gave the rest of his money and gave it to charity. Chris went after college gave up his apartment and his car and stuff and changed the way how he lived and packed up and wanted to travel and live in the wild of Alaska. mcCandless wrote a note to his family telling them that he will be leaving and go on a travel he didn't tell them where he was going. The author wrote this story is to tell the audience really how it was like to just go off on your own and not have enough money or food to live in a very rural area where you are nowhere to be found. The author also wanted to let us know how did he survive 3 months in just bad condition

Read More
475 Words | 2 Pages

Have you ever wanted to purposefully strand yourself in the Alaskan wilderness and inevitably die alone? Now you can, through literature! When reading Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, one follows the story of 24 year old Chris McCandless, a makeshift survivalist whose attempt to escape life, cost him his life. As the novel progresses, the author builds an argument upon first hand accounts, thoroughly psychoanalyzing McCandless’ actions post-mortem. He claims that McCandless, despite his obvious faults, was courageous and inspirational.

Read More
948 Words | 4 Pages

“Engaging in risky behavior is a rite of passage in our culture”(Krakouer 182). Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer is a book about Chris McCandless and his rebellion against his family and societal conformity in order to find himself. Chris is an adventurous boy that graduates from college and journeys west eventually heading into Alaska. Chris does this with minimal supplies because he believes in self reliance. Chris wonders around the west coast traveling and working.

Read More
1008 Words | 5 Pages

“I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.” Leo Tolstoy “Family Happiness” Jon Krakauer in his nonfiction novel Into the wild, Krakauer depicts the life of Chris McCandless as he made his way into the Alaskan Bush.

Read More
2056 Words | 9 Pages

America’s love for the wilderness has always been closely tied with personal values. Beyond just a love of nature, many would say the wild holds endless fascination due to the emotions it inspires and the values we connect to it, rather than just a fondness for greenery. Cronon’s “The Trouble with Wilderness” is one exploration of how wild was a culturally created ideal and the effect that it had on America. A more personal example exists in Krakauer’s Into the Wild, as Chris McCandless’s journey into the Alaskan brush was no doubt motivated by these ideas on wilderness, and the promise of personal fulfillment. There is a reason why we define wilderness as we do, and it is a view that not only affects our actions, but also how we interpret

Read More
806 Words | 4 Pages

Into the Wild tells the story of Chris McCandless, a young man who embarked on an adventure across the U.S. Chris lived for adventure, and sadly met his demise in the Alaskan wilderness. Chris’ death brought about a large debate as to whether Chris was insane or simply idealistic. Krakauer wrote Into the Wild to prove Chris’ sanity and soundly completes that task by using rhetorical devices to persuade his audience. Throughout the book, Krakauer uses ethos to develop Chris’ credibility by providing examples of people who are similar to him. For example, Krakauer provides multiple examples of people who were very similar to Chris, such as Everett Ruess.

Read More
915 Words | 4 Pages

The Alaskan Bush is one of the hardest places to survive without any assistance, supplies, skills, and little food. Jon Krakauer explains in his biography, Into The Wild, how Christopher McCandless ventured into the Alaskan Bush and ultimately perished due to lack of preparation and hubris. McCandless was an intelligent young man who made a few mistakes but overall Krakauer believed that McCandless was not an ignorant adrenalin junkie who had no respect for the land. Krakauer chose to write this biography because he too had the strong desire to discover and explore as he also ventured into the Alaskan Bush when he was a young man, but he survived unlike McCandless. Krakauer’s argument was convincing because he gives credible evidence that McCandless was not foolish like many critics say he was.

Read More
629 Words | 3 Pages

Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild investigates the life and adventures of Chris McCandless. The author provides information about Chris’ life to illuminate his journey. Krakauer also uses rhetorical appeals to defend Chris’ rationale for his journey. Through Krakauer’s use of pathos, ethos, and logos, he persuades the audience that Chris is not foolish; however, Krakauer’s intimacy with Chris and his adventures inhibits his objectivity.

Read More
882 Words | 4 Pages

Based on a real story, Into the Wild can make us think from different perspectives about what the main character Christopher McCandless did. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a dramatic but also remarkable story from a young, newly graduated, college student that escaped for a long wild journey but never came back. As time passes throughout the book, the reader may notice how the main character interacts with society and nature, finally McCandless dies in the wild but even though he was struggling for survival he died happy. Some people never get out of their comfort zone, others are tired of it and retire from their comfort zone to have different experiences in life, some are good enough or some are terrible.

Read More

More about A Literary Analysis Of Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

Related Topics

Open Document