Analyzing Jon Krakauer's 'Into The Wild'

NAME: Naima Campbell Period: 7

MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET

Title: Into the Wild

Author: Jon Krakauer

Date of Publication: January 13, 1996

Genre: Biography, Non-fiction, Travel Literature Biographical Information about the Author Who is the author? Include the author’s birth/death (if applicable) dates, educational background, occupation, awards, etc. What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the subject? Is the author an authority in the subject area? How does the author present the subject and his/her expertise?

The author, Jon Krakauer, was born April 12, 1954. He is a mountaineer and an American writer. He married Linda Mariam Moore in 2010. Krakauer attended Hampshire College, Emery University, and Corvallis High School.

Page 52. “Franz grew increasingly fond of McCandless. ‘God, he was a smart kid,’ the old man rasps in a barely audible voice.” This piece of information given by Ron Franz helps give background on Chris and provides some insight on how he affected people.

In chapter 8, from page 71 to page 85. Krakauer tells the story of Gene Rosellini, John Waterman, Carl McCun, and Everett Ruess. He does this to show similarities among them and Chris, but he only goes off tangent.

In chapter 1, Krakauer starts out by stating, “Jim Gallien had driven four miles out of Fairbanks when he spotted the hitchhiker standing in the snow beside the road…” This allows the reader a better chance at understanding what is happening. Using third-person sets distance from the author and the characters, which provides clarity.

The whole book is told out of chronological order, which means that a reader can become easily confused. By doing this, the story becomes a lot less clear.

Setting

Describe the setting(s) and the mood the setting(s) create Describe the significance of the OPENING scenes from the

The main places that are important and add to the story are Alaska because Chris died there and South Dakota because Chris worked there and met important characters there. The setting creates a natural and idyllic mood. The nature of the places Chris travels creates a feeling of wanderlust, yet anxiety because of what could happen.

The opening scenes of Into the Wild are in third-person narration, which adds clarity to the story. The opening scene is of Jim Gallien finding Chris on the side of the road and then giving him a ride to Chris’s destination. This is very significant because it shows how Chris got to the Alaskan wilderness and because it also provides insight on what Chris was like and why he was so stubborn.

Describe the significance of the CLOSING scenes from the text. The closing scene shows Billie and Walt McCandless at the site where Chris was found dead. They begin to accept his death and come to terms with the fact that he wanted this and it ended terribly. This is very significant because it adds to the theme of the story and because it helps the reader better understand the relationship between Chris and his