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Max F

Mr.Smith

H 11 ELA

12/19/23

Into the Wild, and the Writing of Complex Characters

Christopher Mccandless died, in the middle of the Alaskan brush inside of an old bus. He

was a very complex character in life, and even more so in death, with many details of his journey

across America shrouded in mystery. In Jon Krakauer's biography of McCandles, into the wild,

McCandless' adventure across America was dissected, and analyzed by Jon, in order to really

make the reader understand the motives behind Chris’s actions. Jon Krakauer, the author of

McCandless’s biography, shows the many facets of his character through his use of non linear

storytelling and intertextuality, which helps to develop his personality and differentiate

McCandless from other famous outdoorsmen.

Throughout Into the Wild, author Jon Krakauer intersperses the tale of McCandless’

adventure across America, with stories of other adventurers, which helps to draw contrast

between McCandless and these figures in order to develop him as a complex character, distinct

from the other adventurers. In chapter nine of Into the Wild Krakauer brings up the story of

Everett Ruess, who like Mccandless ventures out into the wilds of Arizona, and eventually was

presumed dead after he went missing. Krakauer writes “Ruess, in the words of Wallace Stegner,

‘a callow romantic, an adolescent esthetic, an atavistic wanderer of the wastelands’:” (Krakauer

90) The reason for Krakauer's inclusion of Ruess story is to show that McCandless had much

different motives for venturing into the wild compared to his contemporaries McCandless was

driven into the wild due to complex family issues, which stemmed from his parents attempts to
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control McCandless’ life path, which didn’t match well with his independent spirit. Ruess on the

other hand was mostly inspired to adventure into the wild from the classical literature he read,

such as 20000 leagues under the sea. McCandles was also inspired by some literature, but

ultimately it was his defiance towards his parents which made him leave, which is why Krakauer

includes the story of Ruess to show that these characters have different motives for venturing

into the wild. On the other hand Krakauer also uses the story of other adventurers to show some

of their similarities. This is most evident when in the same chapter as Ruess story, Krakauer

includes a paragraph about the Papar monks of Ireland who rowed from Ireland, to Iceland, then

Greenland, in order to find the loneliest place where they could meditate in complete peace.

When regarding these monks Krakauer even writes “Reading of these monks, one can’t help

thinking of Everest Ruess and Chris Mccandless” (Krakauer 97). Krakauer's inclusion of the

monks' story, was to show how all of these separate characters had an intrinsic connection to the

wilderness, where most people feel comfortable and at peace in society, people like McCandless

and Ruess only truly feel at peace, when they can be alone in the wilderness. Krakauer's

inclusion of other adventurers' stories ultimately serve to develop McCandless’ character by

showing the reader what set him apart from others, as well as what made him similar.

Another important way that Krakauer develops McCandless’ as a character, is by

withholding some information from the reader until later in the book. Which lets Krakauer

present information to the reader to show McCandles one way, then provide another piece of

information which lets the reader in on McCandless’ more contradictory personality, which gives

the reader a conflicting view on the character. Krakauer waits until the second half of the book to

reveal McCandless’ family trauma specifically with his parents, Walt and Billies relationship,

according to Krakauer “Both Walt and Billie are tightly wound, emotional, loath to give ground.
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Now and then the tension erupted in verbal sparring. In moments of anger, one or the other often

threatened divorce” (Krakauer 107). Quotes like this change the reader's perspective on

Mccandles, whereas before he was shown as a selfish character who home without care for his

parents, to rather someone who left home because of his tumultuous relationship with his

parents. Conversely While McCandles held his family to a very high moral standard, he was

often inconsistent on how he viewed others, especially the writers which he idolized. Krakauer

writes ”Curiously, Chris didn't hold everyone to the same exacting standards. One of the

individuals he professed to admire greatly over the last two years of his life was a heavy drinker

and incorrigible philanderer who regularly beat up his girlfriends. Chris was well aware of this

man's faults yet managed to forgive them. He was also able to forgive, or overlook, the

shortcomings of his literary heroes: Jack London was a notorious drunk;” (Krakauer 93). On top

of this, McCandless’ main employer on his adventure, Wayne Wwesteberg was a criminal, and

McCandles also called him a great man. McCandless was very inconsistent with those he knew

and idolized, which shows the reader his more impulsive side. His tendency to hold different

people to different standards shows the reader that he was much more complex in his character.

This further contributes to shifting the reader's perspective of McCandless to a very conflicted

character, with good and bad features. Krakauer includes these two parts of McCandless’ story

later on in the book, which helps shape the reader's perspective of him as a character.

Krakauer's inclusion of others adventurers' stories, and the way he intersperses certain

details of McCandless’ life ultimately help to develop McCandless’ as a complex character,

distinct from many of the other American adventurers of the time. The method and timing in

which Krakauer includes stories of McCandless and other American adventurers weaved an
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informative and emotional narrative about McCandless’ life, without simply covering his life in

chronological order.
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Work Cited

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Villard Books, 1996.

Skill N Foundational Proficient Advanced

Y

Thesis Establishes Specific mention Effectively

a basic of structural makes a claim
claim elements (and) incorporating a
Includes some complex idea;
aspect of author’s contrast, cause
purpose/ readers and effect, etc.
interpretation

Claims Makes a Previous (and) Previous (and)

statement Somewhat Considers the
that considers the thesis of the
requires thesis paper
evidence to Effective use of
support transition
words/phrases

Evidence Some Includes multiple Includes a

evidence pieces of variety of
relates to evidence/ specific,
the thesis examples that meaningful, and
clearly relate to well-chosen
the thesis and evidence that
individual claims relates to the
Includes multiple thesis
pieces of
evidence in each
body paragraph

Analysis Sometimes Accurately Explains

identifies identifies and well-selected
structures conveys points of
Somewhat structures comparison
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explains Explains how among

how evidence evidence and
evidence supports topic their connection
supports sentence of to the thesis
topic individual
sentence paragraphs
and thesis Explains how
evidence
supports the
thesis of the
essay

MLA Format Some Heading is No errors in

elements correctly MLA format
missing or formatted
some errors Pages are
in MLA numbered
format Most in-text
citations are
correctly
formatted
Works Cited:
each source entry
is in correct MLA
format

Conventions Shows Most quotes are All quotes are

evidence of correctly correctly
basic integrated integrated
proofreadin Follows essay Shows evidence
g organization of careful
Shows evidence proofreading
of proofreading

Fluency Simple use Demonstrates Strong use of of

of use of grade level vocabulary,
vocabulary vocabulary, diction,
Simple diction, sentence sentence
sentence structures structures
structures Accurate use of
unit specific
vocabulary
(non-linear,
epigraph)