Everyone has a dream, some act on theirs, but the majority do not. What makes Christopher McCandless so unique is that he followed his dream, regardless of how unusual many people thought it was. Many believed that Chris McCandless was crazy, but through the use of pathos, vivid imagery, and personal anecdotes, Jon Krakauer shows his audience that McCandless was never crazy at all. Krakauer uses short periodic sentences throughout the book to emotionally appeal to the reader. For example in chapter 17, Krakauer says “Although the mosquitoes are thick tonight and the bus would no doubt offer some refuge, I decide not to bed down inside Fairbanks 142” (186). Krakauer is appealing to the reader’s emotions by emphasizing that even though sleeping outside of the bus was uncomfortable, sleeping inside the bus was much more uncomfortable on a psychological level. For Krakauer and the men who accompanied him to the bus, sleeping inside of Fairbanks 142 would have been unethical. Additionally, …show more content…
For instance, at the beginning of the book, Krakauer describes how the hunters found McCandless, saying “...through a window revealed a Remington rifle, a plastic box of shells, eight or nine paperback books…was a blue sleeping bag that appeared to have...someone inside it” (12). The reader can infer that a dead McCandless is inside of the sleeping bag, but Krakauer continues on to the discovery of McCandless’ remains, saying “...didn’t weigh much. It wasn’t until I walked around to the other side and saw a head sticking out that I knew what it was” (13). The body of Chris McCandless is also described as weighing only “sixty-seven pounds”(Krakauer 14). Krakauer gives this image of McCandless at the beginning of the book to invoke a sense of empathy and sorrow from the reader. Krakauer wants the reader to know how McCandless died and how awful it must have
Throughout Into the Wild, Krakauer portrays Christopher McCandless as an infallibly eager young man hoping to distance himself from the society he so obviously loathes, to "live off the land," entirely independent of a world which has "conditioned [itself] to a life of security." Chris, contrarily to this depiction, is disparagingly viewed by some as a "reckless idiot" who lacked the sense he needed to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. This derogatory assessment of Chris's mindset is representative of the society he hopes to escape and contains all the ignorance that causes him to feel this way. Nevertheless, he is misjudged by these critics, allowing Krakauer to hold the more accurate interpretation of Chris's character, his goals, and his accomplishments.
Although, Chris McCandless may be seen as stupid and his ideals uncanny, he gave up everything to follow his heart he escaped the world that would have changed him, he wrote his own tale to feel free, and he left a conformist world to indulge in true happiness. How many people would just give up their lives, family, material goods, to escape into a world of perfect solitude and peace; not many and Chris was one of those that could and he became and inspiration. “The idea of free personality and the idea of life as sacrifice” (187).
The tone is set in this chapter as Krakauer uses words to create an atmosphere of worry, fear, and happiness in McCandless’s mind. “The bush is an unforgiving place, however, that cares nothing for hope or longing”(4). McCandless is on the path of death, which creates worry and fear for the young boy. “He was determined. Real gung ho. The word that comes to mind is excited,” (6). Alex is very excited and care free, which Krakauer used to his advantage in making the tone of Alex’s mind happy. The author creates tones to make the reader feel the moment as if the readers were sitting there themselves. Krakauer uses dialogue and setting to create the mixed tones of this chapter. As one can see from the quotes and scenery the author uses tones that are blunt and are to the point to make the reader feel as though the emotions are their own. Krakauer uses plenty of figurative language in this chapter. He uses figurative language to support his ideas,to express the surroundings, and tone around the character. To start the chapter he uses a simile describing the landscape of the area, “…sprawls across the flats like a rumpled blanket on an unmade bed,” (9). This statement is used to make reader sense the area and set the mood for the chapter. The use of figurative language in this chapter is to make a visual representation in the readers mind. “It’s satellites surrender to the low Kantishna plain” (9).
Jon Krakauer, fascinated by a young man in April 1992 who hitchhiked to Alaska and lived alone in the wild for four months before his decomposed body was discovered, writes the story of Christopher McCandless, in his national bestseller: Into the Wild. McCandless was always a unique and intelligent boy who saw the world differently. Into the Wild explores all aspects of McCandless’s life in order to better understand the reason why a smart, social boy, from an upper class family would put himself in extraordinary peril by living off the land in the Alaskan Bush. McCandless represents the true tragic hero that Aristotle defined. Krakauer depicts McCandless as a tragic hero by detailing his unique and perhaps flawed views on society, his final demise in the Alaskan Bush, and his recognition of the truth, to reveal that pure happiness requires sharing it with others.
The author uses imagery to show when and where the next part of the chapter is taking place to make the reader feel uneasy. The kid that has now awoken by the coldness and not the “footsteps”, which they heared get far away prior to awakening in the woods, then assess the situation. The kid then thinks “By the light of the moon I could see that they were everywhere. I looked at my other foot but was fine, and as a matter of fact so was the rest of me. I didn’t have another scratch on me and I wasn 't even that dirty” (Auerbach). The author makes the reader feel uneasy by making this take place at night which can be told by the moon. Another thing that makes the reader feel uneasy is when the author makes the kid be in the woods and besides them stepping on the thorn they are uninjured or even dirty. The way these sentence are made the reader can see this and feel the uneasiness even more than it already has. Also the fact that the reader knows that this is a kid makes it more uneasy. The imagery used by the author then makes the reader feel uneasy since where and when this is. By “seeing” what the kid sees, and knowing what has been going on in the beginning of this chapter makes this mysterious to where the reader feels
Society was corrupt in Christopher McCandless perspective. McCandless always tried to “make sense of the world” and why people did what they did and why things were as they were. Chris Mccandless wasn’t like any other person because he did not believe in material things. Likewise he did things that many other people wouldn’t have the courage to do. He believed in finding yourself by being one with nature. The author, Jon Krakauer, seems to see Chris as an adventurer. Others might see Chris as a person with a mental illness who was unable to deal with reality. McCandless, however was a kind of person who believed in finding yourself rather than conforming to society. McCandless found himself by seeking peace, simplicity, and adventure. There
However, Christopher McCandless should be viewed as admirable because he had the capability of viewing dreams and striving hard to fulfill that dream- something that very few people are able to do.
...en writing a book based on ethos, logos and pathos, it is very challenging for an author to stay completely objective. In Krakauer’s case, his bias comes out strongly in certain chapters, sometimes detracting from his argument. Some faults exist in his credibility and logic, but his use of emotional appeal makes up for what those areas lack. Krakauer does an excellent job developing the character of Chris McCandless. The author brings him back to life with his descriptions and is able to make him tangible to the reader. The discussion over what McCandless's thoughts were when he went on his fatal trek will continue as long as his memory lasts. Ultimately, the readers of Into the Wild are left to form their opinion of McCandless, with Krakauer nudging them along the way.
...has never stayed in one place; he is always free and wandering around doing dangerous and exciting things with his life. Krakauer then proves that McCandless is not crazy, that many, in this case Tolstoy, feel his emotions. Some of these intensive emotions lead to the creation of dreams.
Kleinfeld tries to categorize Chris McCandless as a hero, dumb jerk, or soul searcher. She uses pathos as well as blatantly stating her opinion to achieve her goal. In Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild we see many aspects of Chris McCandless that both support and contradicts these categorizations given by Kleinfeld. Jon Krakauer shows us every aspect of Chris McCandless’s journey as well as his life before, by doing this Krakauer shows Chris McCandless is not just one category, he is not any category at all. Kleinfeld’s condescending tone expresses the lack of heroism she sees in McCandless. (Adjust thesis to fit new purpose).
In 1992, Christopher McCandless set off on an odyssey into the backcountry of Alaska, an adventure that had proved fatal. After McCandless's corpse was found, Jon Krakauer wrote an article on the story of Chris McCandless, which was released in the January 1993 issue of Outside magazine. The article had received a negative response; several readers criticized McCandless for being foolish and ill-prepared, and showed no sympathy or remorse for his death. McCandless has been referred to as a nut, a kook, and a fool. However, McCandless was not a nonsensical man. In 1996, Jon Krakauer's novel, Into the Wild, was published. The novel uncovers more detail of McCandless's story. Into the Wild rebuts the idea of McCandless being someone who is foolish, and speaks of the many occasions where McCandless has demonstrated great perseverance and determination. The novel also proves the intelligence of McCandless, and brings insight into McCandless's psyche. The following examples will illustrate how McCandless was not a fool, but someone to admire.
Chris McCandless lived a life in which he disgusted by human civilization, and left it, eventually being led to his death in Alaska. McCandless entered the Alaskan wilderness severely unprepared, a brutal error that cost him his life. In the novel, Into the Wild by John Krakauer, Chris glances into his mindset by they way of his journal, history, and analysis of his life reveals that Chris McCandless as an arrogant and judgemental narcissist, while not mentally unstable, had a condescending attitude towards society and perished not only from his reckless stupidity but also from his unparalleled ego. Chris McCandless was immune to love and had an obsession with nature and society, him showing characteristics that created the appearance of McCandless
Chris McCandless is regarded as being something as a spiritual figure almost as a cult hero, some call him a disillusioned fool, some call him a great adventurer, and the debate still continues. As Matthew Power calls in his article, an article where he tells the story of McCandless,“The debate falls into two camps: Krakauer's visionary seeker, the tragic hero who dared to live the unmediated life he had dreamed of and died trying; or, as many Alaskans see it, the unprepared fool, a greenhorn who had fundamentally misjudged the wilderness he'd wanted so desperately to commune with.” Like so many stories covering Christopher McCandless’ death, both ends of the argument are discussed in an unfavored manner in the hopes to help develop an opinion on the McCandless story. This open ended question can only be answered open-endedly based on what the readers base for themselves as covered stories intend. Like Power has done, ...
The author skillfully uses literary techniques to convey his purpose of giving life to a man on an extraordinary path that led to his eventual demise and truthfully telling the somber story of Christopher McCandless. Krakauer enhances the story by using irony to establish Chris’s unique personality. The author also uses Characterization the give details about Chris’s lifestyle and his choices that affect his journey. Another literary element Krakauer uses is theme. The many themes in the story attract a diverse audience. Krakauer’s telling is world famous for being the truest, and most heart-felt account of Christopher McCandless’s life. The use of literary techniques including irony, characterization and theme help convey the authors purpose and enhance Into The Wild.
Chris McCandless was a bit of a drifter, but when he died, he had achieved his dream and passed away happily. “If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed” (Krakauer). This represents his American Dream because Chris believed in doing what you wanted when you want to, part of his American Dream, contributing to his overall happiness in life. “I now walk into the wild” (Krakauer). Chris walked alone into the brush of Alaska, just to get away from his demons and be truly happy. This was his American Dream because it was what made him the happiest before he died. “Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God” (Krakauer). Chris had achieved his dream once he reached Alaska. We know this because if the American Dream is doing what will make you happy, and he died happy in Alaska, Chris had achieved his Dream. I believe that is what made it okay for him to pass happily, the fact that he had escaped his demons and achieved his dream. Just as ...