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Purpose:

Jon Krakauer believed that what Christopher McCandless stood for and found out in the wild was important. The message of youth, idealogy, identity, and finding happiness and freedom is important and should be shared.  No one could have expected McCandless to completely walk away from everyone he loved. Krakauer uses elusiveness in the tone of his writing because he did not fully know all the reasons behind McCandless’s motives. He was filled with love, compassion, and kindness yet he still searched for more. The search for identity, happiness, and freedom were all values Krakauer could identify to McCandless journey and believed there were important elements to his journey that should be shared.

Research:

Jon Krakauer spent three years putting together his first article on Chris McCandless. He later wrote the book “Into the Wild” about McCandless’s journey. Krakauer spoke to every person who had any interaction with McCandless. He read McCandless’s journals, followed his trails, and even read his papers as a student in high school. Krakauer believed that he understood McCandless and after writing the book admitted there were some questions he still did not have answers behind McCandless’s motives. Krakauer had a long list of citations from many books used in the novel. The most repeated book used in the story was “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London that McCandless had a deep love for. In his acknowledgments he thanks the McCandless family who gave him full access to Chris’s letters, papers, and photographs.

Language:

Krakauer uses pathos throughout “Into the Wild” to draw readers in and realize how important McCandless believed his quest and journey was. Krakauer uses a remorseful tone in his writing that is displayed. An example is, “‘I was sure I’d heard Chris calling me,’ she insists, tears rolling down her cheeks, ‘…He was begging, ‘Mom! Help Me!’ But I couldn’t help him because I didn’t know where he was.” This sad quote creates pity and causes the reader to empathize and feel remorseful for the loved ones McCandless left behind. Krakeaur’s remorseful tone can also be seen when he compares himself with McCandless. Krakauer said he felt, “a similar intensity and heedlessness” when he was that age and he had the same hopes to find himself and discover happiness. Krakauer empathizes with McCandless and probably felt a little attached to him and remorseful that he died.

Important Quotes:

- “He had spend the previous for years, as he saw it, preparing to fulfill an absurd and onerous duty: to graduate from college. At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence.” McCandless wanted to escape from the materialism of society; he was tired of the conformity.  He was ready to just live without the weight of the things society put on people. He wanted to live fully.

- “Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often.”  McCandless sought truth he wanted to know the world and why some people were good and some were bad. He wanted to understand humanity.

- “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experience, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” McCandless wanted a life full of meaning he wanted to learn about the beauty and joy that life could offer. The core of his journey was his passion for adventure and finding freedom and happiness.

- “HAPPINESS [is] ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.” McCandless finally realizes that he can’t be truly happy without others. He needed others to survive and thrive.

- “He is smiling in the picture, and there is no mistaking the look in his eyes: Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God.” Before McCanfless died he realized that happiness was only real when shared but that he had so much happiness with his loved ones. He had found himself and discovered the beauty of the wild. He was able to peacefully die with this new knowledge.

Universal Ideas:

Identity-

McCandless was trying to find himself when he went into the wild. No one will ever know exactly what his motives were. No one knew he could leave his parents behind leaving them heartbroken. His loved ones never truly knew him and it goes to show that you can never completely and fully understand all the facets of a person.

Principles-

McCandless was true to his principles and values till he died. When he speaks about not wanting to grow to be materialistic like his parents he means what he says with conviction. He gives away his savings for college to charity and survives with little to no money. Many people he meets on his journey respect him because he is so true to his principles and values

Freedom-

McCandless yearns to be free from society’s rules and oppression. By finding freedom through nature he believes he can find true happiness. He believed if he were alone he wouldn’t have to follow rules or standards. He wanted to live for himself.

Forgiving-

McCandless holds anger towards his parents because of their shortcomings. He believes it is injustice and even though he is very kind and intelligent he cannot seem to forgive them. At the very ending of the story I believe McCandless is able to accept that his parents never meant to hurt him and he forgives them.

Intimacy-

McCandless often hurts the people who love him because he is unwilling to let them be close. Throughout the book the readers can see how his decisions hurt others. He doesn’t let people close to him so that he can easily say goodbye and continue on his journey.