Into the Wild

“I've decided I'm going to live this life for some time to come. The
freedom and simple beauty is just too good to pass up.” ~Christopher
McCandless
 Agenda- Objective ¼ & 1/5

• Welcome Back Kiddos!!!

(I will collect your extra credit later!)

• Do Now

• Intro. To Into The Wild

• Anticipation Guide

• Discussion

• Homework/ Quiz!

• SWBAT analyze a variety of essential questions, author information, and

complete an anticipation guide to better understand the themes behind Into
The Wild
 Agenda Objective 1/6 & 1/7

• Do Now & Discussion

• Chapter 1-3 Quiz & Discussion

• PowerPoint Group Notes

• Worksheet

• Closure

SWBAT identify the writing style of Kraukauer by reviewing

notes, analyzing text and completing a critical thinking/
application worksheet
Do Now 1/6 & 1/7
Do Now ¼ & 1/5

• Which picture holds the most value? Which picture

holds the least?
• Why?
 The Author
• Jon Krakauer is a writer and avid
mountain climber.
• Krakauer’s writing career picked
up with Outside magazine, but he
has written for many other
publications including The New
York Times
• He has written several novels, the
most acclaimed being Into Thin
Air, an account of his successful
yet disastrous climb of Mount
Everest
 The Book

• Into the Wild was published in

1996 and spent two years on the
NYT Bestseller List

• He wrote the book after the

success and great popularity of
his Outside article on
Christopher McCandless
published in the January 1993
issue.
 Chris McCandless

• Based off what you have already read

• In your group, choose 3 words to describe the main
characters personality, lifestyle, home life , etc..
 Chris McCandless
•High Achiever: Academics, Athletics, Music * Entrepreneurial
•Generous & Caring *Cold & Unforgiving
•Impatient with others
•Self-absorbed Harsh judge of parents
•Tolerant of artists& close friends
•Passionate
•Self-righteous
•Intensely private
•Gregarious (social)
•Socially conscious
Examining his character traits, why do you think he decided to leave it all
behind? Answer in groups on response boards
 Methodology
(Notes 1/6 & 1/7)
Krakauer’s use of methodology in Into the Wild is an
important focus of his biography. It is inevitably
what makes him a “partial” biographer.
Methodology: the methods of organizing principles
underlying a particular art,science or other area of
study.
• *Manuscripts
• *Maps
• *Interviews
• *Epigraphs
 Structure
(Notes 1/6 & 1/7)
Krakauer starts the novel with the ending completely
in mind.
We know of Chris’ death by chapter two.
The epigraph is detailing his trip into the Yukon Territory.
Westerberg’s letter is introduced before he is.
• How is this effective story telling?
• Why are we given the letter before a literary quote?
 Maps
(Notes 1/6 & 1/7)
• The maps are used to personalize the odyssey.
• Visual rendering of where he’s been. We see Chris’s
plight and the trek he has made.
• Also see the absurdity of his journey: jumping from
one place to the next.
 Letters and Manuscripts
(Notes 1/6 & 1/7)
• Personal connection to Chris.
• He seems very candid and
real in the letters.
• Detection of his spite, anger
and arrogance in the letters.
• Puts on a different face in
front of strangers:
benevolent, spirited, kind.
• The letters serve as his
connection to the outside,
evidence of his journey, and
his bitter farewell to society.
 Interviews
(Notes 1/6 & 1/7)
• Story becomes real when
we meet people Chris has
befriended.
• Provide personal account
of his behavior.
• Allow us to question his
motives.
• Aware of his inability to
connect to humans.
• Krakauer’s main attempt
at being impartial.
BONUS!
• [Original article]Death of an Inn
ocent: How Christopher McCan
dless lost his way in the wilds

• Print, read, and annotate the

original Krakauer article on
Christopher McCandless for
bonus points!
• Due Friday
The Krakauer-McCandless Connection

• Krakauer saw a lot of connections between Chris and

himself from their interests, to their world views, to
their family lives.
• “I identify with him a lot, and it's a sad story. I went
back to the bus for the third time last September. I've
become quite good friends with his family, we have
sort of this weird bond” (Random House).
• [Movie Interview]: Why and how Krakauer wrote the b
ook
 A look Into the Wild

• [Outside link] Recovered photos from McCandless’ camera

• [Outside article] A treasure trove of unpublished letters and never

seen photos offers a fresh perspective on the adventures of
Christopher McCandless
 Essential Questions
• Heroes often embody the
qualities of a culture. Examine
McCandless as a possible hero.
What evidence is there that he’s a
hero to Americans? What
qualities does he have that
represent our own culture and
what we value?
• In what ways do the ideas of the
transcendentalists resonate in
modern America?
Essential Questions
• In life, what is most important:
friends, family, or self? Are
families, friends, or community
essential to our happiness in any
way? Can a person be completely
content in solitude or without the
acceptance of society? Which of
these is most central to our
happiness?
• What does it mean to be
successful?
 Essential Questions
• How do we construct our own identities? What is the
relationship between nature and the identity of Americans? In
what other ways do we form our identities? What is your
identity?
• Americans have always been captivated by the idea of traveling
west, or as Wallace Stegner wrote, “the road has always led west”
(15). Why do Americans have such an obsession with travel, the
road, and the road trip? What does it reveal about our culture and
our desires that many people seek out the adventure of the great
unknown?
 Essential Questions
• What is your purpose? What is McCandless’? What can you
learn about your own purpose from examining his?
Yet another bonus!

• Print, read, and annotate

Outside magazine's article
“The Chris McCandless Ob
session Problem
”
 Extras
• We’ll check these out later

• Google Map of Chris’/Alex’s journey

• Prezi Map of Chris’/Alex’s journey

• September 2013 NPR interview “Did Jon Krakauer Finally

Solve 'Into The Wild' Mystery?”