Into the Wild

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Into the Wild

• By Jon Krakauer

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www.intothewild.com
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The Media

• Death of an Innocent
• 9,000-word article by Jon Krakauer appeared in
  Outside, Jan. 1993
• Into the Wild novel by Jon Krakauer published
  1996
• The Cult of Chris McCandless
• article by Matthew Power appeared in Mens
  Journal, Sept. 2007
• Into the Wild film produced 2007
• Note various other articles have been written in
  addition to television interviews and coverage.

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The Media
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Jon Krakauer

• Adventure enthusiast
• Experienced hiker, climber, and writer
• Eiger Dreams
• Into Thin Air
• Under the Banner of Heaven
• editor of the Modern Library Exploration series

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Chris McCandless

• Alexander Supertramp
• Decomposed body found in bus (Alaska) in
  September 1992
• From affluent East Coast family
• Emory University alumni (1990)
• Two-year odyssey from 1990-1992

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(No Transcript)
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Quick Write 1 Future Plans

• Think about some alternative plans you might have
  instead of beginning college immediately after
  high school. What might you do, why would you do
  it, and how long do you see yourself in this
  activity? (Get specific!)

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Authors Note

1. How long did Chris McCandless journey in the
   Alaskan wilderness last?
2. Immediately after graduating from Emory
   University in 1990, Chris McCandless dropped out
   of sight. List 5 things that he did to support
   his plan.
3. What are some themes Krakauer mentions are the
   result of his meandering inquiry?
4. What do you think Krakauer means when he states
   I wont claim to be an impartial biographer?
5. What reason does Krakauer offer for writing this
   book?

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Chapter 1 The Alaska Interior

1. Chapter 1 begins with a postcard addressed to
   Wayne Westerberg. Why do you think Krakauer
   begins his novel this way? Explain.
2. Who is Jim Gallien? What does he do for Alex?
3. According to Jim, what does Alex intend to do?
4. Which items/possessions does Alex take with him
   into the Alaskan bush?
5. Jim Gallien thought about informing the Alaska
   State Troopers about Alex and his intentions.
   Why does he change his mind? Explain.

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Jack London (1876-1916)

• Born in San Francisco to a poor family
• As a child he was an avid reader, especially
  stories of real-life adventure
• As a teen he joined the oyster pirates and was
  a sailor
• Attended HS for one year, passed the entrance
  exams for UC Berkeley, but quit halfway through
  freshman year (did some writing)

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Jack London continued

• 1897-took off to prospect for gold in the
  Klondike (part of Yukon Territory in NW Canada),
  got sick, and returned in less than a year
• Klondike experience convinced him that life is a
  struggle in which the strong survive and the weak
  do not
• Short stories and novels dramatize his belief
  that civilized beings are either destroyed or
  re-created in savage environments
• Call of the Wild White Fang
• Millionaire, but an alcoholic, London suffered
  from kidney disease and depression
• Pain was unendurable, so he committed suicide
  (drugs) and died at age 40

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White Fang

• The remarkable story of a fiercely independent
  creature of the wild.
• In the desolate, frozen wilds of north-west
  Canada, a wolf-cub soon finds himself the sole
  survivor of his litter. Son of Kiche-half-wolf,
  half-dog- and the aging wolf One Eye, he is
  thrust into a savage world where each day becomes
  a fight to stay alive.

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The Call of the Wild

• When gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1896,
  Jack London caught the fever and rushed off to
  the northlands to try his luck. When he returned
  home, he had not mined an ounce of gold but
  brought back a greater treasurevivid
  recollections of rugged life in the frozen
  wastelands. London converted his experiences into
  exciting adventure tales, including The Call of
  the Wild, which has been called his masterpiece.

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The Call of the Wild continued

• It tells the story of the magnificent dog Buck,
  who is a loyal pet until cruel men make him a
  pawn in their search for the gold of the
  Klondike. Brutally treated, Buck finds the blood
  of his world ancestors rising within him and
  breaks free to roam the Alaskan wilderness as
  leader of a ferocious pack.

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Chapter 2 The Stampede Trail

1. Why do you think Krakauer begins with a passage
   from Jack Londons White Fang? Explain.
2. In 1961, what did Yutan Construction purchase in
   order to house the construction workers who were
   upgrading the Stampede Trail? What did they
   leave behind?
3. How many people arrived at the bus on September
   6, 1992? Give their names and the order in which
   they arrived on the scene.
4. What did these people discover?
5. What details does Krakauer give when describing
   the remains of Chris McCandless?

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Leo Tolstoy 1828-1910

• Russian
• Studied law and Oriental languages at Kazan
  University
• teachers said he was unwilling and unable to
  learn
• diaries reveal his insatiable thirst for a
  rational and moral justification of life

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Tolstoy continued

• Military experience, but later a pacifist and
  considered a moral philosopher
• Influenced Gandhi and MLK, Jr.
• Drifted towards a more oriental worldview with
  Buddhist overtones,
• learned to feel himself in other living creatures
• Realist fiction, realistic depiction of
  19th-century Russian life
• War and Peace Anna Karenina

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Quick Write 2 Beliefs

• Think about some of YOUR beliefs. What do you
  believe in? Why? How do your beliefs shape who
  you are? Where does your set of beliefs come
  from? What do your beliefs look like?

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Greetings from!

• Refer back to your Quick write 1 and your future
  plans.
• Think about some alternative plans you might have
  instead of beginning college immediately after
  high school. What might you do, why would you do
  it, and how long do you see yourself in this
  activity? (Get specific!)
• Use this to help you write your postcard, or
  chose a new destination
• See assignment hand out for details

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________________________________ ______
__________________________ ______________________
__________

• Dear, May 12, 2008
• 12 point font
• Single space
• ¾ page
• OR
• Really nice hand writing
• Ink
• ¾ page

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 Chapter 3 Carthage

1. Who is Wayne Westerberg? How would you describe
   him?
2. What do we learn about Chris McCandless through
   Westerbergs testimonial?
3. What does Chris give Wayne before leaving
   Carthage? Why do you think he gave it to him?
4. Where is Chris originally from?
5. What was Chris home life like? Explain.
6. Based on the letter Chris sent to his sister
   Carine and the note he later sent to his parents,
   what do we learn about Chris relationship with
   his family? Explain.

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Chapter 4 Detrital Wash

1. From the point of view of the Datsun, describe
   what happened to you from the time Chris reached
   Detrital Wash to the present day.
2. What unnecessary baggage does Chris shed?
3. Who are Jan Burres and Bob? How does Chris keep
   in touch with them?
4. Once he reaches the Colorado River, where does
   Chris travel and how? What was his ultimate
   goal? How does he end up achieving this goal?

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 Chapter 5 Bullhead City

1. Where does Chris work while staying in Bullhead
   City?
2. Give two examples of things Chriss co-workers
   remember about him.
3. What is life like at The Slabs?
4. Who does Chris meet up with again at The Slabs?
   How does he spend his time there?

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Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862

• Transcendentalist
• He seemed born for great enterprise and for
  command. Emerson (about Thoreau)
• Abandons life in society and moves to Walden
  Pond. Writes Walden.
• The mass of men lead lives of quiet
  desperation. -- Thoreau
• I wish to meet the facts of life. Thoreau
• His essay, Civil Disobedience, inspired the idea
  of passive resistance used by Gandhi and MLK Jr.

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Chapter 6 Anza-Borrego

1. Who is Ron Franz? How do he and Chris meet?
2. List three pieces of information from Franzs
   background story. Why might Krakauer spend time
   explaining Franzs background?
3. Describe both the people and location of
   Oh-my-God Hot Springs.
4. List five items that Chris etches into his
   leather belt.
5. While riding the rails Chris encounters a
   bull. From the context of the story, what is a
   bull?
6. In his letter to Ron, what advice does Chris
   give? Does Ron take Chriss advice? Do you
   agree with the advice given? Would you take it?
   Explain.

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Chapter 7 Carthage

1. How do Wayne Westerbergs girlfriend, Gail Borah,
   and his mother, Mary, react to Chris McCandless?
2. List three things you learn about Chris that
   might point to his innocence.
3. List three things you learn about Chris that
   might point to his arrogance.
4. How does Chris plan to travel to Alaska? Why
   does he choose this method?
5. Reread the postcards that Chris sends to Wayne
   Westerberg and Jan Burres. Was Chris expecting
   to die? Defend your answer.

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Ch. 6 7 Digging Deeper

• Ronald Franz and Chris McCandless establish a
  father-son type of relationship. Identify one
  benefit or drawback (using a quote) that each
  gets out of the relationship.
• Before Chris leaves for Alaska, Wayne Westerberg
  offers to buy him a plane ticket. Chris refuses,
  however, claiming, flying would be cheating. It
  would wreck the whole trip (67). Find and
  explain two quotes from this chapter that
  demonstrate whether or not Chris actually lives
  by his own words.
• Additional Discussion Topic So many people live
  within unhappy circumstances and yet will not
  take the initiative to change their situation
  because they are conditioned to a life of
  security, conformity, and conservatism, all of
  which may appear to give one peace of mind, but
  in reality nothing is more damaging to the
  adventurous spirit within a man than a secure
  future. The very basic core of a mans living
  spirit is his passion for adventure (57).

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Chapters 8-10 Alaska Davis Gulch Fairbanks

1. Look at the epigraph at the beginning of Ch. 8,
   on page 70. Why were these two quotes placed
   together? What is the common theme that Krakauer
   is trying to convey?
2. On page 71 Nick Jans offers the following
   criticism Ive run into several McCandless
   types out in the country. Same story
   idealistic, energetic young guys who
   overestimated themselves, underestimated the
   country, and ended up in trouble. Do you agree
   with Jans? Was Chris naïve and ignorant? Or, do
   you think he was adventurous and noble? Defend
   your position.
3. What is the purpose of using the stories of other
   people in chapters 8-9? What do you think is
   Krakauers reasoning behind this choice? Is he
   successful?
4. Were you surprised that Chris left trails so that
   the authorities could find out who he was?
5. Whats in a name? Chris uses a number of
   different aliases throughout his journey in order
   to distance himself from his past and those who
   knew him. Do names matter?

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Quick Write 3 Whats in a Name?

• Whats in a Name?
• Does it matter that we have the name we were
  given by our parents?
• How do names matter?

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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. (War and revolution).
• 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

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Doctor Zhivago

• First published in Italy in 1957 amidst
  international controversy, DZ is the story of the
  life an loves of a poet/physician during the
  turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Here is a
  masterful chronicle of its outbreak and
  chronicles army revolts, irrational killings,
  starvation, epidemics, Communist party
  inquisitions.

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Doctor Zhivago continued

• Taking his family from Moscow to what he hopes
  will be shelter in the Ural Mountains, Zhivago
  finds himself instead embroiled in the battle
  between the Whites and Reds. Set against this
  backdrop of cruelty and strife is Zhivagos love
  for the tender and beautiful Lara pursued,
  found, and lost again, Lara is the very of the
  pain and chaos of those cataclysmic times.

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Chapters 11-13 Chesapeake Beach Annandale
Virginia Beach

1. What did Chris learn about his family on his
   first trip across the country and how did this
   knowledge affect him?
2. What are some quotes that represent characteristic
   s of Chris's parents?
3. What are the most important events in Chapter 12
   of AND what is the significance of each?
4. Name two qualities that Walt McCandless and his
   son have in common and support each with a quote
   from Chapter 11.
5. Explain the bond between a mother/son and
   father/son how are they the same? Different?

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Chapters 14 15 The Stikine Ice Cap

1. In what point of view are these chapters told?
2. What is Krakauers opinion of Chris death and
   how does he come to this conclusion?
3. How old was Krakauer when he made is his first
   climb?
4. John Menlove Edwards said that climbing was a
   psychoneurotic tendency. What does this mean?
   Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
5. How did Krakauer prepare for his climb?
6. What are the some of the mistakes Krakauer made
   that could have proved fatal?
7. Compare Krakauer with Chris. Consider their
   adventures, endeavors, and families.

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Chapters 14 15 The Stikine Ice Cap continued

• 8. Krakauer says that he suffered from
  hubris, exaggerated pride, in his younger years.
  How does Chris suffer from hubris?
• 9. Why does Krakauer use author intervention
  in these two chapters? Is it effective?
• 10. How does the placement of these two chapters
  contribute to the development of the plot? Should
  they be in another section of the novel? Should
  they be omitted? Explain.
• 11. At the end of chapter 15, Krakauer says
  that surviving his Alaska adventure was due to
  chance. Did Chris die because of chance, fate,
  environment, heredity or other sources? In the
  authors note, Krakauer mentions that his opinion
  about McCandless will be apparent in the novel.
  What is his opinion?
• 12. Do you agree or disagree with Krakauers
  convictions of Chris McCandless? Explain.

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Quick Write 4 C/C Chris vs. Alex

• Compare and contrast Chris as a teen to
  Chris/Alex as an adult
• What are your impressions of him at each stage of
  his life?
• How has he changed? Grown?
• Which incidents in the novel helped create this
  impression? Do you think your impression might/
  will change? Explain.

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The Naturalists Philosophy

• The Naturalists were a group of
  scientists/writers who presented a new way of
  thinking at the turn of the 20th Century.
• Beliefs
• Everyone is born with the history and knowledge
  of his/her ancestors.
• The knowledge lies dormant until factors bring it
  out.
• The Naturalists focused on the excess of Human
  Nature.
• Lust, Greed, Evil, Murder, Crime

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The Naturalists Philosophy

• The Naturalists posed as scientists.
• Foundation was based on Charles Darwins
  Philosophy.
• Everyone is an animal
• Man has evolved, but he has retained certain
  animalistic qualities.
• Survival of the Fittest
• Man possesses this instinct.
• True self is revealed once a person is taken away
  from society.
• Society Laws and Reason
• Society governs our behavior.
• What if you take the person away from society and
  place him in the primitive?

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The Naturalists Philosophy

• Heredity Chance Environment
• Fate
• Quick Write 5 HCEF
• Look at yourself how has this philosophy
  affected you?

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Chapter 16 The Alaska Interior

1. Discuss the concept of chance/luck (both good and
   bad) and the role it plays in Chris McCandless
   fate in the Alaskan bush.
2. Was Chris a victim of bad luck? To what degree
   did he have control over the events that occurred
   during his 4 months stay in the Alaskan bush?
   Cite textual evidence to support your answer.

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Chapter 17 The Stampede Trail

1. Roman Dial states, Sure he screwed up, but I
   admire what he was trying to do. Living
   completely off the land like that, month after
   month, is incredibly difficult. Ive never done
   it Living in the interior bush for an extended
   period, subsisting on nothing except what you
   hunt and gathermost people have no idea how hard
   that actually is. And McCandless almost pulled
   it off (185).
2. Do you respect Chris for what he tried to
   accomplish? Why or why not? Support your
   response with textual evidence.

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Chapter 18The Stampede Trail

1. 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 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 evidence. Then provide
   evidence and give a counter-argument against
   those who would disagree with your opinion.
2. Which of the following factors/forceshubris,
   ignorance, chance, environment, inexperience,
   romantic idealism, self-relianceplayed the
   greatest role in Chris McCandless death? Rank
   the following elements in the order that you
   believe most likely led to Chris death. (one
   being most influential, seven being the least).
   Then justify your top 3 choices with evidence
   from the text to explain your rationale of
   thinking.

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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 LAmour