Into the Wild Overview

Into the Wild was written by Christopher McCandless and is a true story. It is about a man who is inevitably dies in the Alaskan wilderness and hikes all over the the United States. The elements became to much for him so he decided to camp out in a bus. His body was found here and many people have tried to figure out the cause of his death. Basically, many people believe his death is because of starvation. Scientists think it is due to the fact that McCandless ate the seeds of wild potato. The effects included weakness, loss of coordination, and lack of nutrients for metabolism which killed him. He was found by moose hunters and a couple. McCandless was able to survive for about 112 days before he died. Join me in this great adventure and hopefully we will learn a lot more about the life and death of Christopher McCandless.

Author Biography

Jon Krakauer was born in 1954 in Corvallis, Oregon where he grew up mountaineering. He graduated from Hampshire College in 1976 and lived in Alaska and Colorado. One of his first occupations was a salmon fisher and carpenter. In his free time Krakauer spent his free time in the mountains. He climbed several such as the Devils Thumb peak and West Face of Cerro Torre. Krakauer successfully climbed the peak of Mt. Everest, but on the descent a storm claimed the lives of four of his fellow mountaineers. He decided to write about his adventure, and received an award for it in the Outside magazine. Krakauer also wrote "Into Thin Air" which was about Everest and it became the #1 New York Times bestseller. Many of Krakauer's writings have been published in Outside, TIME, Washington Post, and other magazines. Most of his books have been awarded prizes and he created a fund to support the families of the people who died on Mt. Everest.

Into the Wild at Yellowstone National Park

Over the years I have heard about a place called Yellowstone National Park. This park is located mainly in Wyoming but also extends into Montana and Idaho. It would only take several hours to get to by plane from Maryland. During the summer the temperature is relatively warm at 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It usually depends on the elevation for some temperatures because the higher a person is the colder the weather. During the winter the temperature is usually between 0 and 20 degrees. As with most places, the temperature at Yellowstone drops during the night during all seasons. In the summer, there are many thunderstorms. A person would do well to bring a rain jacket and an umbrella. However, during the winter it is no surprise to find several feet of snow on the ground.
This area is the home of a super volcano that is still active and could erupt. It would be an interesting sight to see lava and the volcano itself. But this area is more than just a volcano. It is a national park which means that it is home to many different species of wildlife. The park covers a vast area of about 3500 miles. There is much one could do at Yellowstone. They could hike, sight see, canoe, camp, and many other recreational activities. If I were to go I would definitely take a tent, hiking boots, a canoe, and a gun for hunting. With all of these activities I am sure I would have a wonderful time and enjoy it.

Direct and Indirect Characterization

Direct Characterization is when the author explicitly tells the reader what a character looks like and acts like.

Indirect Characterization is when the author shows the reader what the character does, says, thinks and feels which allows the reader to draw his/ her conclusions.

Direct:

5 feet 8 inches (p.4)

Wiry (p.4)

24 years old (p.4)

Wears glasses (p.17)

67 lbs when the body was found (p.14)

Good looks that mothers fuss over (p.16)

Congenial (p.5)

Well educated (p.5)

Drifter that live "lived out of a backpack" (p. 41)

good looks

"McCandless looks tan, strong, healthy" (p.55)

Indirect:

Determined- McCandless keeps trying to get to the Gulf of California by traveling through Mexico "It is a miracle" says McCandless when a Mexican decides to tow him to the ocean(p.35)

Extremely hard worker- "he always finished the job and had good work ethics" (p.18)

Intelligent- has good conversations that make Gallien think (p.5)

Stubborn- doesn’t back down when told that his journey is full of dangers (p.6)

self reliant/independent- he does not accept gifts from anyone "I'm going to have to be real careful not to accept any gifts from them in the future because they will think they have bought my respect". (p.21)

arrogant- McCandless thinks he can survive in the wild and that he will not die "I'll be fine with what I've got". (p.6)

Chris was not a nutcase and wanted to die but had written an S.O.S letter hoping someone would find him (p. 12)

He did not like modern society that much and when he was working in a Mcdonalds he worked at the same pace during rush hour (p.40)

Chris loves the wild and does not plan on stopping any where "I'll see what happens when spring comes around, because that's when I tend to get really itchy feet". (p.39)

McCandless loves the the tramping life and all of the adventures he is experiencing because his "spirit is soaring" (p.37)

Chris does not like friendship and human intimacy. "relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all messy emotional baggage that comes with it." (p. 55)

I get the feeling that McCandless is the type of person who needs adventure and near death experience. He is always on the move and his adventures take him to dangerous places. He does seem to be an intelligent person and genial. McCandless has the best intentions for himself but he seems just a little to arrogant about how to survive in the wild which seems to cause his death.

Symbolic Belt Designs

My life has not been nearly as exciting as Chris McCandless. But if I had to make a belt and put on symbols of my life so far and the future, the very first object would be a crossed lacrosse sticks and a skull in between. Lacrosse is a passion of mine and I love to play it. The second symbol would be USMC and the Marine Globe, Eagle, and Anchor symbol. I highly regard the Marines and their duty to the United States. Since I am a Catholic, I would also place a cross on the belt. Another very important symbol that would have to be placed on the belt would be the Under Armour symbol. I love Under Armour and now have a great collection of clothes and other accessories from Under Armour. Another important piece to put on the belt would be my initials, J.D.E. I would also carve an eagle into the belt because of my love for the majestic bird. Since I have been to several other countries, I would carve a plane into the belt to symbolize that I love to travel. As much as I don't like my old school, I would carve the symbol of it into my belt to show that I went there for nine years. And lastly I would place COD on the belt to symbolize Call of Duty and how great the games are that have been made.

Google Earth Trip

This Google trip helped me immensely understand and see how far Chris really traveled. By just reading the book, I didn’t get the impression of how far Chris really traveled. But from this Google Earth Trip I realized that it was much farther than I had anticipated. I learned that the reason he disliked his parents was because of them forcing him to get a law degree along with the affair he never knew about. I also learned that Chris McCandless traveled very far while looking for a job to fund his trip to Alaska. When Chris eventually died, I had not realized that he was trying to get back to Fairbanks but couldn’t because of the Talkeetna River. Because of the circumstances of his death, it changes my opinion of him. At first, I thought he was arrogant and thought he could survive by himself with only his wits, but now I realize he did not die of arrogance but of nature. He was set on returning to civilization, but because of nature it forced him to stay in the wild where it eventually killed him.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2620106244_f7cab7cec7.jpg
http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/9-12/Entries/2008/11/8_Expedition_Literature_Into_the_Wild_by_Jon_Krakauer.html

Final Assessment