by: John Krakauer

Author: Jon KrakauerAuthor: 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

Does our society allow us to find true happiness and fulfillment? Have you ever felt as though you needed to get away from what you knew in order to learn more about yourself or life in general?

What would you do if you felt as though you needed a radical change in your life to find meaning in living? Would you take the chance or would you keep on living the way you always did?

W. H. DaviesMoney, O!

When I had money, money, O!I knew no joy till I went poor;For many a false man as a friendCame knocking all day at my door.

Then felt I like a child that holdsA trumpet that he must not blowBecause a man is dead; I daredNot speak to let this false world know.

Much have I thought of life, and seenHow poor men's hearts are ever light;And how their wives do hum like beesAbout their work from morn till night.

So, when I hear these poor ones laugh,And see the rich ones coldly frownPoor men, think I, need not go upSo much as rich men should come down.

When I had money, money, O!My many friends proved all untrue;But now I have no money, O!My friends are real, though very few.

Chris McCandlessChris 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

He was influenced by authors and philosophers who viewed materialism as empty and unfulfilling

In 1992, he decided to travel alone to Alaska, where he hoped to live off of the land and find meaning in his life. He never returned.

The story of his life and death was made into a major motion picture, Into the Wild, in 2007.

The MediaThe Media

The MediaThe 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 Men’s Journal,

Sept. 2007

• Into the Wild film produced 2007• Note: various other articles have been written in addition to television

interviews and coverage.

Quick Write #1: Future PlansQuick 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!)

Author’s NoteAuthor’s Note1. 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 won’t claim to be an impartial biographer”?

5. What reason does Krakauer offer for writing this book?

Chapter 1: “The Alaska Interior”Chapter 1: “The Alaska Interior” 1. According to the text, is McCandless

certain that he will survive? (p.3)

ex: According to the postcard that “Alex” wrote to Westerberg, he has some doubt that he will survive when he says, “…should this adventure prove fatal..”

2. Why does Krakauer emphasize the gear that McCandless took with him to Alaska?

Jack London (1876-1916)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)

Jack London continuedJack 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

White FangWhite 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.

The Call of the WildThe 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 treasure—vivid 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.

The Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild continuedcontinued• 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.

Chapter 2: “The Stampede Trail”Chapter 2: “The Stampede Trail” 1. Why do you think Krakauer begins with a

passage from Jack London’s White Fang? Explain his purpose including textual evidence in your response.

2. What details does Krakauer give when describing the remains of Chris McCandless?

Leo Tolstoy: 1828-1910Leo 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”

Tolstoy continuedTolstoy 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

Quick Write #2: BeliefsQuick 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?

  Chapter 3: “Carthage”Chapter 3: “Carthage” 1. Who is Wayne Westerberg? How would you

describe him?2. What do we learn about Chris McCandless

through Westerberg’s 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.

Chapter 4: “Detrital Wash”Chapter 4: “Detrital Wash” 1. Create a timeline of events for chapters 4 and 5.

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?

  Chapter 5: “Bullhead City” Chapter 5: “Bullhead City” 1. Describe the contrast between the

Mcdonalds employee’s perception Chris and his own description of his situation.

2. What physical changes has Chris undergone? Propose, with support, the emotional changes that you see in him.

Henry David Thoreau: 1817-1862Henry 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.

Chapter 6: “Anza-Borrego” Chapter 6: “Anza-Borrego” 1. Who is Ron Franz? How did he meet Chris?

2. List three pieces of information from Franz’s background story. Why might Krakauer spend time explaining Franz’s background?

3. List five items that Chris etches into his leather belt.

4. While “riding the rails” Chris encounters a “bull”. From the context of the story, what is a bull?

5. In his letter to Ron, what advice does Chris give? Does Ron take Chris’s advice? Do you agree with the advice given? Would you take it? Explain.

Chapter 7: “Carthage” Chapter 7: “Carthage” 1. How do Wayne Westerberg’s 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.

Chapters 8-10: “Alaska” “Davis Chapters 8-10: “Alaska” “Davis Gulch” “Fairbanks”Gulch” “Fairbanks”

1. Look at the epigraph at the beginning of Ch. 8, on page 70. Why were these two quotes placed together?

2. On page 71 Nick Jans offers the following criticism: “I’ve 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?

3. What is the purpose of using the stories of other people in chapters 8-9? What do you think is Krakauer’s reasoning behind this choice?

Quick Write #3: What’s in a Name?Quick Write #3: What’s in a Name?

• What’s in a Name?

• Does it matter that we have the name we were given by our parents?

• How do you feel when you are called by the wrong name?

Boris Pasternak: 1890-1960Boris 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

Doctor ZhivagoDoctor 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.

Doctor Zhivago Doctor Zhivago continuedcontinued• 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 Zhivago’s 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.

Chapters 11-13 “Chesapeake Beach” Chapters 11-13 “Chesapeake Beach”

“Annandale” “Virginia 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 characteristics of Chris's parents?

3. Compare and Contrast the bond between a mother/son and father/son how are they the same? Different?

Chapters 14 & 15: Chapters 14 & 15: “The Stikine Ice Cap”“The Stikine Ice Cap”

1. What is Krakauer’s opinion of Chris’ death and how does he come to this conclusion?

2. How old was Krakauer when he made his first climb?

3. How did Krakauer prepare for his climb?4. What are some of the mistakes Krakauer made

that could have proved fatal? 5. Compare Krakauer with Chris. Consider their

adventures, endeavors, and families.

Chapters 14 & 15: Chapters 14 & 15: “The Stikine Ice Cap” continued“The Stikine Ice Cap” continued

6. Krakauer says that he suffered from hubris, exaggerated pride, in his younger years. How does Chris suffer from hubris?

7. Why does Krakauer use author intervention in these two chapters? Is it effective?

8. 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.

9. 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 author’s note, Krakauer mentions that his opinion about McCandless will be apparent in the novel. What is his opinion?

10. Do you agree or disagree with Krakauer’s convictions of Chris McCandless? Explain.

Quick Write #4: C/C Chris vs. AlexQuick 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.

The Naturalists’ PhilosophyThe 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

The Naturalists’ PhilosophyThe Naturalists’ Philosophy

• Foundation was based on Charles Darwin’s Philosophy.• Everyone is an animal• Man has evolved, but he has retained certain animalistic

qualities.• Survival of the Fittest• 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?

The Naturalists’ PhilosophyThe Naturalists’ PhilosophyHeredity + Chance + Environment

= Fate

Quick Write #5 – H+C+E=FLook at yourself – how has this

philosophy affected you?

Chapter 16: “The Alaska Interior”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.

Chapter 17: “The Stampede Trail”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. I’ve never done it… Living in the interior bush for an extended period, subsisting on nothing except what you hunt and gather—most 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.

Chapter 18:”The Stampede Trail” Chapter 18:”The 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.

from from Education of a Wondering ManEducation 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

Final Images

Introduction: Do you feel that McCandless’ story has been overly romanticized? Should it have been published into a book and made into a film?

Body paragraphs (2-3): What is the meaning in all of this? Is there a lesson to take away or is this just a character study of an interesting, if not flawed, young man? Be specific! Add INTEGRATED quotes from the article to back up your POV. Remember to include parenthetical citation.

Conclusion: Ultimately, is McCandless an admirable young man, or a tragic figure to learn from?

Hero or Tragic Figure? Writing an Opinion Piece

Chapters 1-10

Who was the last person to see Chris McCandless Alive?

What nickname did Chris McCandless give himself?

McCandless’ body was found in:a)Airplaneb)Boatc)Card)Canoee)Bus

How did McCandless die?

What type of car did Chris drive?

Where was his car found?

Where was McCandless camping when he met Ron Franz?

What leather item did Chris make with Franz?

How did McCandless enter Mexico?

Because Jan Buress was estranged from her son, she:a)Hired a private investigatorb)Contacted Chris’s parentsc)Tried to get Chris to contact his parentsd)Adopted Chris

When Franz learns of Chris’s death, he:a)Committs suicideb)Becomes an atheistc)Gets drunk and adopts kidsd)Burns Chris’s letters

It is clear that Chris is closest with:a)His Dad Waltb)His Mom Billiec)His Boyscout Leader Tedd)His Sister Carine

What Instrument does Chris surprise Wayne Westerberg by playing well?

All of the following are true about Gene Rosellini except:a)He lived to be 101b)His father was very wealthyc)He wanted to be independent from tech.d)He was known as the mayor of hippie covee)He fatally wounded himself with a knife

All of the following are true about John Watermann except:a)He spent 145 days alone on Mt. Hunterb)He was abandoned by his fatherc)He wanted to legalize drugs and unrestrict sex for minors.d)His brother committed him to a psych warde)He wore a black cape and Elton John glasses

All of the following are true about Carl McCunn except:a)He was killed by a rabid racoonb)He tried to get a woman to join him on his adventurec)He threw several boxes of ammunition in the lake.d)He shot himself in the heade)He forgot to arrange a flight back to town

The nickname that Everett Ruess carved into a rock was:a)Frodob)Wily Coyotec)Lone Rangerd)Nemo

Krakauer provides all of the following possibilities for Everrett Ruess’ demise, except:a)He was killed by cattle rustlersb)He committed suicidec)He is still alive and living with the Navajod)He fell off a cliffe)He drowned, crossing a river

Who is the first of Walt’s kids to be contacted by the Alaska State Troopers regarding Chris’s body?

Which person does Krakauer believe was MOST like McCandless:a)Everett Ruessb)Gene Rosellinic)Carl McCunnd)John Watermann