65125398 Into the Wild Project

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Passages From The Text Pg #s Comments & Questions

Chapter 1

Alex’s backpack looked as if it only weighed5 or 30 pounds… “He wasn’t carrying

nywhere near as much food & gear as you’d

xpect a guy to be carrying for that kind of

ip.” – Jim Gallien

I figured he’d be OK,” he explains. “I thought

e’d probably get hungry pretty quick and

st walk out to the highway. That’s what anyormal person would do.” – Jim Gallien

4

7

(E) The first person introduced in the beginning of the

book is not the main character but a kind union electr

by the name of Jim Gallien spotting him. Gallien meets

‘Alex’ finding the boy interesting in his enthusiasm to

follow the stampede trail however Gallien is almost ce

it will be his doom due to his lack of equipment, food,

directional tools.

Indeed a ‘normal’ person headed through a rough trai

with little to eat and not much protection from the

wilderness would, after a while, turn around and seekshelter and food. However the way Gallien mentions a

end of his quote “That’s what any normal person wou

do” suggests that either Alex was special or he had a

reason for his motives.

Chapter 2

Meandering through the tangled, rolling

ottomland is the Stampede trail, the route

hris McCandless followed into the

ilderness.”

10 (E) If I follow correctly Chris McCandless, must be non

other than other doomed main character ‘Alex’. Since

followed the same Stampede trail and had almost the

items in his pack. But why change his name? Consider

the last chapter Alex likes adventure. Maybe he set ou

an adventure

Chapter 2

Chris McCandless had been dead for two

nd a half weeks.”

13 (R) I think Chris was idealistic and spiritual in his wan

to be with nature. However he was also reckless, and

fearless. These features combined can bring nothing b

misfortune. Chris lived in a world where most people

become spoiled with the modern conveniences and pe

simply lack the common sense of survival. Him being o

of them had to prepare for a journey such as his. In or

to survive you would need to know your destination a

yourself well. Chris McCandless didn’t know the Alask

wilderness at all, had no pre-existing survival skills, an

despite being very strong willed and physically fit, ove

estimated his own endurance.

Chapter 3

The Cabaret's plywood-paneled walls are

ung with deer antlers, Old Milwaukee beer

romos, and mawkish paintings of

ame birds taking flight. Tendrils of cigarette

moke rise from clumps of farmers in

veralls and dusty feed caps, their tired faces

s grimy as coal miners. Speaking in short,

atter-of-fact phrases, they worry aloud

ver the fickle weather and fields of

unflowers still too wet to cut, while above

16 (A) To me the way Krakauer describes the scenery is

comforting and realistic. He mixes visual details of the

accessories hanging on the walls of the smell of the

tendrils of smoke and even the hearing details like the

farmers’ small talk in short phrases. It makes it feel as

you are sitting in the room and actually watching the

scenes unravel before you.

Krakauer is also really attentive to adding certain deta

in order for the reader to follow dates and important

events. From the information given in this passage we

conclude that the date was January 12, 1993, and that



heir heads Ross Perot's sneering visage

ckers across a silent television screen. In

ght days the nation will elect Bill Clinton as

resident. It’s been nearly two months since

he body of Chris McCandless turned up in

laska.”

McCandless was found in the middle of November.

Chapter 3

No longer would he answer to ChriscCandless; he was now Alexander

upertramp, master of his own destiny.”

23 (C) I related this to the many people who like Chris ha

changed their names to escape from their past, possib

even a crime. Some simply change their names becaus

personal taste or like Chris to start anew as their own

person unconnected to anyone.

Chapter 4

Then in a gesture that would have done both

horeau and Tolstoy proud, he arranged all

s paper currency in a pile on the sand… Oneundred twenty-three dollars in legal

under was promptly reduced to smoke and

sh.”

He told us about abandoning his car,

urning all his money. I said ‘Why would you

ant to do that?’ Claimed he didn’t need

oney.” –Jan Burres

Chris had given away his collage fund to

XFAM.”

29

30

31

(A) These quotes show in my opinion one of the them

‘Into the Wild’ that Krakauer emphasized well with th

help of McCandless’s books. Materialism.

All through the book, quotes from books written by LeTolstoy, Jack London and Henry David Thoreau are

displayed taken from the books Chris carried with him

his journey. Chris adopted their idealism into his life

letting it inspire him throughout his long trek. He reje

what he sees as American materialism in general by

denouncing his parents, his suburban life style and his

social life. Also completely refusing any worldly mater

burning the money he earned with hard work, and

donating the rest of his worldly earnings to OXFAM,

organizations working in 98 countries to find lasting

solutions to injustice and poverty where it is most neeThe world at this point seems to find idealistic behavi

such as this strange, due to the reaction of 41-year-old

rubber tramp, Jan Burres.



Chapter 5

Burres made it clear that he was no recluse:

He had a good time when he was aroundeople, a real good time.” At the swap meet

e’d talk and talk and talk to everybody who

ame by.” – Jan Burres

I thought Alex had lost his mind when he

ld us about his ‘great Alaskan odyssey’, ase called it.” – Jan Burres

44

45

(C) This instantly reminded me of a time in my life wh

had gone on a visit to Cuba at the age of 13, and while

walking through the streets of Antonio Maceo in Santi

de Cuba, a large flea market was set up. A small stall w

crowded unlike anything you would ever see in a flea

market, and they weren’t buying but talking with theyoung Cuban, who I discovered was named Alejandro,

behind it. My family and me had stayed to listen to wh

the Alejandro was saying, however it was a lecture or

preaching but simple chitchat.

Until we heard the question from the crowd “When ar

you returning to America?” The man’s response was“when Cuba is free.” Then he continued “The United st

is the best country in the world full of endless possibil

however this is the country my whole family was raise

I want to have hope for it and that’s why I am here.” T

people laughed, some gasped to themselves, andwhispered to each other including my family.

Everyone who was born and raised here had the idea

Cuba would never change as long as Fidel and Raul Ca

remained alive. However this man like McCandless wa

anomaly.

While everyone else in the city and of Bullhead and at

swap meet he worked at were always searching for a w

to make life easier, a way to acquire wealth. McCandle

wanted just the opposite, he wanted to make life hard

push his limits, and live on the edge as an adventurer.

the same with the man in Cuba all the citizens of Cubawere just trying to get by and find a way to live an eas

life without getting in trouble. The man lived hoping n

bothering to make his life easier and fly back to the US

risking daily persecution.

(In Cuba anything you say about the country not havin

freedom or it being tortured by Fidel or if you talk bad

about Fidel could lead you to jail or depending on the

degree of the speech made maybe even death.)



Chapter 6

Astoundingly, the eighty-one-year-old man

ok the brash twenty-four-year-old

agabond’s advice to heart. Franz placed his

rniture and most of his other possessions

a storage locker, bought a GMC Duravan,nd outfitted it with bunks and camping gear.

hen he set up camp on the bajada.”

When Alex left to Alaska,” Franz remembers,

prayed, I asked God to keep his finger on

he shoulder of that one; I told him that boy

as special. But he let Alex die. Son on

ecember 26, when I learned what had

appened, I renounced the Lord. I withdrew

y church membership and became an

theist. I decided I couldn’t believe in a Godho would let that something that terrible

appen to a boy like Alex.” – Ronald Franz

58

60

(R) As I was reading these passages it came to me the

influence Alex had on the people he met. I think Kraka

specially tried to highlight moments like these for exa

he mentions how everyone always loved Alex, intervie

of the people Alex had met were always touching and

close.Alex had an incredible knack for winning people onto

side and keeping them painlessly at arms length. How

Franz was different Alex won the prickly elder man ea

and influenced him to change his living style with only

miniscule conversation and a handful of written word

Which ironically enough is how Alex was inspired to g

up his comfortable life and set out on his large-scale

adventure in order to get the most out of life.



Chapter 7

had Alex over to the house for supper just

bout every night,” Borah continues. – Gail

orah

’m going to divorce them as my parents once

nd for all and never speak to either of those

iots again as long as I live.” – Christopher

cCandless

Once Alex made up his mind about

omething, there was no changing it,”Westerberg laments.” – Wayne Westerberg

63

64

67

(A) Something I’ve been noticing from chapters 1-7. T

Krakauer highlighted Kindness of the people superbly

From chapter one Krakauer always tries to show that

matter Alex went and how he looked like. There was

always someone there ready to receive him with open

arms. Krakauer highlighted even those who only show

the slightest amount of compassion. Since Krakauer d

receive the chance to get to now and interview Alex he

took advantage of the interviews of the people who lovAlex and his letters to characterize him in the book.

In chapter 1 we have Jim Gallien, who over the tiny sp

time he met the boy, worried for him and even gave A

his lunch before dropping him off at the stampede trai

Krakauer used Gallien to show how stubborn and Gun

Alex was about the trip also to show his cocky nature.

In chapter 2 we have Ken Thompson, Gordon Samel,

Ferdie Swanson, and Butch Killian who could have left

Alex in the bus to continue rotting but moved the body

immediately.

In chapter 3 Wayne Westerberg is introduced for the ftime. Wayne offered him shelter and a steady job at th

grain elevators, the people of Carthage that are said to

have adored Alex by Westerberg himself. Wayne

characterizes Alex as hardworking and a real nice boy

In chapter 4 Jan Burres and her boyfriend Bob make t

first appearance, also in a letter he sends to Westerbe

Alex mentions a man by the name of Kevin who he tha

for the clothes that helped him survive the harsh wint

Jan offers him shelter at their house and a steady

friendship forms with the couple.

After leaving Jan and Bob, Alex meets a young Germancouple by the name of Thomas and Karin who he camp

out with after they give him a ride to the Grand Canyo

In chapter 5, he wrote a letter to Jan Burres explaining

an old man named Charlie had offered to have him sta

‘his’ trailer for free. Later on in the chapter Jan and Bo

reunite with Alex and offer him a job overseeing her s

of paperback books in a swap meet. Jan often showed

motherly worry and care toward McCandless. He also

meets Tracy, a teen in the Slabs who develops a crush

him. In chapter 6 is perhaps Alex’s biggest bond madeduring the journey, the octogenarian Ronald Franz. Fr

met Alex when offering him a ride to his camp, after a

small conversation both men became very attached to

each other. Alex stayed with Franz for a while, all thro

the while Franz grew to view Alex as his grandson and

even made Alex a special request. He asked Alex to be

his adopted grandson.

In chapter 7 Wayne Westerberg makes a second

appearance, and once again offers him a job and a plac

stay. This time Westerberg introduces Alex to his

girlfriend Gail Borah and his mother Mary Westerberg

who both treasured Alex very much.



Chapter 8

he important differences I could find are:

Rosellini

Rosellini’s ‘experiment’ stretched on for

ore than a decade,”

At the age of forty-nine, he cheerfully

nnounced that he had ‘recast’ his goals,”

There in the forest at the edge of town, heecided to devote his life to an ambitious

nthropological experiment.”

In November 1991, Rosellini was

scovered lying facedown on the floor of his

hack with a knife through his heart. The

oroner determined that the fatal wound was

elf-inflicted.”

Waterman

His parents, Guy and Emily Waterman,vorced when he was a teen, and Guy,

ccording to a close source to the family,

ssentially abandoned his sons following thevorce. He would have nothing more to do

ith the boys, and it crippled John badly.”

He’d take copious notes, creating aomplete record of everything he did during

he course of each day.”

Waterman was nevertheless hailed as aero by the small fraternity of Fairbanks

imbers.”

McCunn

“A thirty-five-year-old amateur

hotographer, McCunn told friends that the

ain reason for the trip was to shoot

ctures of wildlife.”

He was hot for at least a couple of different

rls who worked with us, and he spent a lot

f time and energy trying to talk Sue orarbara or whoever into accompanying him,”

Carl was the sort of guy who would have

nrealistic expectations that someone would

ventually figure out he was in trouble and

over for him.”

75

75

74

75

76-77

78

78

81

83

(E) Although there have been many negative commen

about McCandless being just like many other that have

have died and many that still exist today. The three m

compared to McCandless are Gene Rosellini, John Mall

Waterman, and Carl McCunn. Between all these men t

may be some similarities but there are more differenc

between them and those differences are what makes

McCandless unique and fame worthy Krakauer’s eyes.

important differences I could find are:

Rosellini

-McCandless’s adventure only lasted two short years.

-Chris was in his early twenties. (Making his actions

especially rare.)

- McCandless devoted himself to living alone for his ow

sake, or in order to fully appreciate life, not out of

education.

- McCandless died of malnutrition and lack of knowled

and supplies.

Waterman- McCandless unlike Waterman was not close to any of

family except his sister and instead of his father

abandoning him; Chris abandoned both his parents of

own accord.

- McCandless wrote small journals without many deta

and many times skipped entries.

- Chris became a story in the headlines across the Unit

States however; he was not necessarily seen as a hero

more as a whacko. (Ironically enough Waterman actuabecame mentally unstable.)

McCunn

- Again McCandless had no educational goals or hobbi

was following, he did it for the value of life and just to

there alone.

- McCandless however wanted no such company on hi

journey, he was completely opposite from this man in

eyes. Every time McCandless made a bond with peopl

left them early enough for them to not expect any type

commitment from him. Chris didn’t want any emotionbaggage for the trip. However he did keep friends like

Burres, Bob, Westerberg, and Franz at an arms length

- Again in this aspect McCandless was the complete

opposite of McCunn. Chris wanted no help from anyon

worked for things and rarely ever asked favor of peop

He wouldn’t even accept help if he was offered it like hwas many times during his journey. For example: duri

his last visit to Carthage, Westerberg offered to buy hi

plane tickets straight to Fairbanks, he declined thankf

and considered it cheating. He also declined Franz’s ofto be adopted and live a comfortable like with him.



Chapter 9

Everett was born in Oakland, California, in914, the younger of two sons raised by

hristopher and Stella Ruess.”

89

(A) Again Krakauer uses means of comparison to s

that Alex is unique in his desire to live the rest

his life tramping.

I believe that McCandless was unique in his desire tosimply want to be alone, away from everyday life with

a goal or mission, especially his attitude towards it all,

was always very happy and energetic just to be in the

Also considering his age his soul was well beyond his

years. He was always very spiritual in his desire to be

the move. He was like none other because he cut hims

off completely from emotional bonds and family, also

modern day life.

Chapter 10

didn’t know what I was going to say. How

o you tell someone that their child is dead?”

Sam McCandless

102

(C) Many times in my life we have had people inform u

that our loved ones have passed away, and months aftthey confirm they had no idea how to tell us. We never

really understood this until we were actually put in th

position this summer.

This summer my grandfather on my mother’s side pasaway. He lived in Cuba were travel was costly and diff

and conditions were horrible, meaning my mother

couldn’t even go to his funeral. My father and I were th

first to be contacted and deliver the news. That was w

we were put into the position of telling my mother. Th

phrase reminded me of that time in my life because I s

exactly that. I said to myself “How am I supposed to temother that her father is dead?”

Chapter 11

Mom and Dad put in extremly long hours.” –arine McCandless

er son, the teenage Tolstoyan, believed that

ealth was shameful, corupting, inherently

vil…” –Billie McCandless

115

(R) Krakauer uses this chapter wisely by using Chris’s

parents in order to describe Chris’s early life and also

show why Chris decided to disconnect his life from his

family. First he outlines that Chris had the Tolstoyan

mentality since he was very young, causing him to late

break ties with his style of living. Krakauer shows that

Chris had a very happy childhood, however the over-

obssesion with money in the money to the point that h

parents would leave him and his Carine alone in the h

to take care of themselves for hours on end is mostly w

drove him to this mentality. The mentality that wealth

ruins people.



Chapter 12

Chris’s relations with his parents, which had

een unusually courteous since his

raduation from high school, deteriorated

gnificantly that summer, and Walt and

illie had no idea why.”

121

(E) At this point after Chris returns from his first trip a

from home, and during this trip he discovers that his

father had been living a double life supporting anoth

wife with another son. When Chris finds out he blocks

his parents, mostly his father and keeps to himself. I d

think this is the best thing he could’ve done however,that’s from my point of view. To me Chris was always drastic with his actions and when he decided to turn

against his family he decided to do it all the way witho

even confronting them and asking for an explanation.

What Walt did was of course, in my eyes, completely

wrong but not worth Chris’s absolute loathing.

Chapter 13

As she studies the pictures, she breaks down

om time to time, weeping as only a mother

ho has outlived a child can weep, betraying

sense of loss so huge and irreparable that he mind balks at taking its measure. Such

eareavement, witnessed at close range,

akes even the most eloquent apologia for

gh-risk activities ring fatuous and hollow.”

132

(R) Krakauer used such an expressive language here t

the phrase immeaditaly called to me and touched me

deeply. He has always tried to defend Chris’s sense of adventure for ‘ high-risk activities’ as he says however

when he interviews Chris’ mother and notices her sorand suffering he admit s the Chris’s unprepared and co

voyage has not only earned him his death but the suffe

of all his family and friends. That’s just the way things

work however not at all I’m sure how Chri’s had plannit. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm when he started o

his voyage than just to start a new life and settle down

somewhere else after he had finished traveling from p

to place.

Chapter 14

I put a foot through a snow bridge spanning

slot so deep I coulnd’t see the bottom of it.little later I broke through another bridge

my waist; the poles kept me out of the

undred-foot crevasse…”

At such moments something resembling

appiness actually stirs in your chest, but it

n’t the sort of emotion you want to lean on

ery hard.”

139

143

(C) This reminds me of the times in my life when I use

try and climb trees. When I used to be about 8 climbin

trees was as big a challenge to me as it was for Krakauand his Devil’s Thumb. I remember I used to climb up the middle and be stuck there just like Krakauer rema

stuck on a hanging piece of ice. When I tried to advanc

from the middle my feet or hands would slip and I wo

scramble around trying to reach for the safety of a bra

because just like Krakauer or anyone else I was afraid

falling to my ‘doom’ as I thought of it. But of course whcould sucessfully climb to the top or atleast away from

middle I would swell with happines and gigglel to mys



Chapter 17

t would be easy to stereotype Christopher

McCandless as another boy who felt too

much, a loopy man who read too many books

nd lacked even a modicum of common

ense.”

184

(R) Krakauer in my opinion found McCandless very

interesting, nothing like a simple college graduate.

Throughout the whole book he defends McCandless’s

dangerous sense of adventure and identifying himslef

him. Like now he could stereotype McCandless as

everything he was labeled as, a nutcase, a lunatic, a stu

kid, or just another one of them hitchhikers. However

Krakauer continues to believe that McCandless went in

the wild for more than just status and fame, but in ord

search deep into his soul for the life he truly desires.

Chapter 15

But I believe we were similarly affected by

he skewed relationships we had with our

thers.”

155

(A) Here, Krakauer establishes a motif of Sons and th

Fathers. Their problems with their fathers were both t

turning point of their stories. Although for different

reasons they both separate from their fathers of their

accord. Krakauer however remembers his father as lo

and kind and McCandless always remembered them awell, idiots. Both fathers however caused this sof their

own accord because of their ambitiousness. Since

Krakauer started kindergarden his father was already

planning his futute in the medicall field. McCandless’s

father abandoned him with Carine for many months to

fend for themsleves in order to work on his fortune al

while supporting another family far away.

Chapter 16

He didn’t get along with his folks too good, Iuess. Told me his dad was a genius, a NASA

ocket scientist, but he’d been a bigamist at ne time…”

159

(E) It surprised me when I read that Alex had talked

venerably about his father to someone he met. Most o

time he wouldn’t speak a word of his family. There wa

only one time I recall that he had spoken in an outragetone towards his family and that was with Wayne. In

which he remarked the words surprised him because

clashed with Alex’s character so much. But on his fina

meeting with a person (Stuckey) before he went into t

wild he commplimented his father the member of his

family he was most upset at. Even though Stuckey cou

like everyone else Alex had talked to, conclude that he

didn’t get along with his parents it was still rare that A

would commpliment them in any way. But then I ask

myslef if it was a coincidence that Alex did that. Maybe

anger was at this point slipping away, or maybe he juswanted someone to know that deep down he still adm

his father and cared for his family.



Chapter 18

He had just finished reading Doctor Zhivago,

book that had incited him to scribble

xcited notes in the margins and underline

everal passages.”

t is tempting to regard this latterotification as further evidence that

McCandless’s long, lonely sabatical hadhanged him in some significant way.

188

189

(C) Like McCandless I too often scribble comments,

personal jokes, questions in my books as well. It’s a wa

me to have fun reading books and also learn things ea

McCandless I’m sure occuppied most off his time in hi

books and liked to jot his ideas down. When I sit down

read a book. I also think of my own lifesyle and reflectIf I like soemthing in the book maybe I could orient my

in another way. Just like certain books that McCandles

owned made him rethink his idea of living in society.

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65125398 Into the Wild Project