Thoreau/Krakauer Paper

Elisabeth Desmond, Green Group

CAP English 9, Period 9
October 25th, 2018

Name:___Elisabeth Desmond_________________________________
Group: ___Green________________________________
 Thoreau/Krakauer Paper Outline
Compare and/or contrast the ways that Chris McCandless’s actions and thoughts, as
written in Into the Wild, are reflected in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: Economy?

Henry David Thoreau’s views in Walden

Paragraph 1, Introduction and Thesis Statement:
regarding possessions, self sufficiency and authority are reflected in Chris McCandless’s
actions as portrayed in Jon Krakauer’s Into The Wild. Walden is a book of advice and
philosophy from Henry David Thoreau, who lived on Walden pond for two years. Into
The Wild is the story of Chris McCandless, who abandoned his possessions and hitchhiked
to Alaska, reflecting the advice given in Walden.

The rest of the paragraph should provide a brief summary of their works. NOTE: In this example, the writer began
with Henry David Thoreau; therefore, the first brief summary must begin with Thoreau and end with Krakauer’s
portrayal of Chris McCandless.
What is your Thesis Statement? Remember, include at LEAST three ways in which the authors compare/contrast.
Include both authors’ names and the titles of their works.
Example: Henry Davud Thoreau’s views in Walden regarding ________________ , ________________ and
________________ are reflected in Chris McCandless’s actions as portrayed in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild.

Place your thesis statement below:

___Henry David Thoreau’s views in Walden regarding possessions, self sufficiency and
authority are reflected in Chris McCandless’s actions as portrayed in Jon Krakaur’s Into
The Wild.________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: Your topic sentence must include the first control of your thesis statement.
Example: Henry David Thoreau’s view on _posessions__________ was portrayed when Chris
____destroyed/abandoned his belongings and identification.____________.
What is your topic sentence?
Thoreau’s views on possessions were portrayed when Chris destroyed/abandoned his belongings.

What two pieces of evidence (quotes) will you use with Thoreau?

“A lady once offered me a mat, but as I had no room to spare within the house, nor time to

spare within or without to shake it, I declined it, preferring to wipe my feet on the sod

before my door. It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil,” (Page 56).

“In the savage state every family owns a shelter as good as the best, and sufficient for its

coarser and simpler wants…” (Page 27).

What two pieces of evidence (quotes) will you use with Krakauer?

“He (Chris) already had a perfectly good car, he insisted: a beloved 1982 Datsun B210,

slightly dented but mechanically sound, with 128,000 miles on the odometer. “I can’t

believe they’d try and buy me a car,” he later complained in a letter to Carine,” (Page 21).

“...Gallien..pulled out an old pair of rubber work boots, and persuaded the boy to take

them...Gallien’s wife had packed him two grilled-cheese-and tuna sandwiches and a bag

of corn chips for lunch; he persuaded the young hitchhiker to accept the food as well,”

(Page 7)

Paragraph 3: Your topic sentence must include the second control of your thesis
statement.
Example: Example: Henry David Thoreau’s view on ___self reliance______was portrayed when Chris
___lived with very little technology_______.
What is your topic sentence?
Thoreau’s views on self reliance were portrayed when Chris lived alone with very little modern
technology.
What two pieces of evidence (quotes) will you use with Thoreau?

“Near the end of March 1845, I borrowed an axe and went down to the

woods by Walden Pond...and began to cut down some tall arrowy white pines,

still in their youth, for timber. It is difficult to begin without borrowing…”

(Page 35).

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only

the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and

not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived,” (Page 74).
What two pieces of evidence (quotes) will you use with Krakauer?
“Alex admitted that the only food in his pack was a 10-pound bag of rice. His

gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior,

which in April still lay buried under the winter snowpack. Alex’s cheap leather

hiking boots were neither waterproof nor well insulated. His rifle was only .22

caliber, a bore too small to rely on if he expected to kill large animals...He had

no ax, no bug dope, no snowshoes, no compass,” (Page 5)

“‘I don’t want to know what day it is or where I am. None of that matters,’”

(Page 7).

Paragraph 4: Your topic sentence must include the third control of your thesis statement.
Example: Example: Henry David Thoreau’s view on ___laws______was portrayed when Chris
____burned his identification______.

What is your topic sentence?

Thoreau’s views on laws were portrayed when Chris began to break laws.

What two pieces of evidence (quotes) will you use with Thoreau?
“I was seized and put into jail, because, as I have elsewhere related, I did not

pay a tax...But, wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw him with their

dirty institutions, and, if they can, constrain him to belong in their desperate

odd-fellow society,” (Page 137).

“The rest pay an annual tax for this outside garment of all...but now helps to

keep them poor as long as they live,” (Page 28)

What two pieces of evidence (quotes) will you use with Krakauer?
“That government is the best which governs least,” (Page 123)
“Ignoring posted warnings that off-road driving is strictly forbidden...Why had

he ignored posted regulations and driven down the wash in the first place? Was

he aware that the vehicle’s registration had expired two years before and had

not been renewed? Did he know that his driver’s license had also expired, and

the vehicle was uninsured as well?” (Page 27-28).

Elisabeth Desmond, Green Group

Henry David Thoreau’s views in Walden regarding possessions, self sufficiency and

authority are reflected in Chris McCandless’s actions as portrayed in Jon Krakauer’s Into The

Wild. Walden is a book of advice and philosophy from Henry David Thoreau, who lived on

Walden pond for two years. Into The Wild is the story of Chris McCandless, who abandoned his

possessions and hitchhiked to Alaska, reflecting the advice given in Walden.

Thoreau’s views on possessions are portrayed when McCandless destroys and abandons

his belongings. Thoreau is not one to take interest in gewgaws. He repeatedly criticizes the use of

frivolous things, saying: “A lady once offered me a mat....I declined it, preferring to wipe my

feet on the sod before my door,” (Thoreau, 56). Thoreau believes that in order to be happy,

humans should only own necessities. If humans begin to relish in unnecessary commodities, it

raises standards of comfort. Thoreau encourages a simple life. He enjoys the lifestyle of Native
Americans, claiming that “every family owns a shelter as good as the best, and sufficient for its

coarser and simpler wants…” (Thoreau, 27). McCandless reflects this advice, as he leaves home

with a bare minimum of supplies for his journey to Alaska. He refuses gifts that he believes are

unessential. For example, McCandless expresses his dismay over a new car, stating: “He (Chris)

already had a perfectly good car, he insisted…‘I can’t believe they’d try and buy me a car,’ he

later complained in a letter to Carine,” (Krakauer, 21). Thoreau’s logic is also that the more

objects one owns, the more the objects own the owner. This is because little items need to be

dusted or taken care of. A house needs to be cleaned, and a field must be farmed on. In the end,

the owner of these things does more taking care of the item than the item benefits the owner.

McCandless avoids as many possessions as possible, but with great persuading he will take small

things: “Gallien...pulled out an old pair of rubber work boots, and persuaded the boy to take

them...Gallien’s wife had packed him..lunch; he persuaded the young hitchhiker to accept the

food as well,” (Krakauer, 7). Chris McCandless reflects Thoreau’s views on possessions,

specifically the lack of need for them.

Thoreau’s views on self reliance are portrayed when McCandless lives alone with little

modern technology. In Walden, Thoreau uses difficult ways of building, such as chopping down

trees one by one with an axe: “Near the end of March...I chopping down trees one by one with an

axe and went down to the woods by Walden Pond...and began to cut down some tall arrowy

white pines...for timber,” (Thoreau, 35). Chris McCandless packs a bag and when he goes to

Alaska, he lives out of an abandoned bus. McCandless’s bag does not consist of much, as he tells

Gallien; “Alex admitted that the only food in his pack was a 10-pound bag of rice. His gear

seemed exceedingly minimal...Alex’s cheap leather hiking boots were neither waterproof nor

well insulated...He had no ax, no bug dope, no snowshoes, no compass,” (Krauaker, 5). Thoreau
believes that surrounding oneself with modern technology would hinder one's life experiences,

stating: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential

facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach…” (Walden, 74). McCandless would

agree with Thoreau, stating: “I don’t want to know what day it is or where I am. None of that

matters,” (Krakauer, 7). Thoreau and McCandless both revert to a ‘simpler’ life.

Thoreau’s views on authority are portrayed when Chris begins to break laws. It is against

the law to not pay your taxes, but Thoreau considers that another trouble, stating: “I was seized

and put in jail, because...I did not pay a tax...But, wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw

him with their dirty institutions...and constrain him to belong in their desperate odd-fellow

society,” (Thoreau, 137). He also insists that taxes made people poor, claiming: “The rest pay an

annual tax for this outside garment of all...but now helps to keep them poor as long as they live,”

(Thoreau, 28). McCandless also ignores several other issues regarding his car, and the legality of

it. Krakauer wonders about Chris’s knowledge of his car, stating: “Ignoring posted warnings that

off-road driving is strictly forbidden...Why had he ignored posted regulations and driven down

the wash in the first place? Was he aware that the vehicle’s registration had expired two years

before and had not been renewed? Did he know that his driver’s license had also expired, and the

vehicle was uninsured as well?” (Krakauer, 27-28). Chris is very honest about his feelings of the

government, and quotes Thoreau: “That government is the best which governs least,” (Krakauer,

123). Both McCandless and Thoreau seem to want to stray away from society, especially the

strict authority that comes with it.

Henry David Thoreau’s advice portrays Chris McCandless’ actions on possessions, self-

sufficiency, and authority. Both disregard frivolous items, rely on themselves and avoid

conforming to society’s standards.

 Works Cited

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York, Random House, 1996.

Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York, Barnes & Noble Books, 2003.