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Avery Stare

Mr.Smith

H 11 ELA

22 December 2023

McCandless’s Decisions

“No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to

become lost in the wild” are the words of Chris McCandless who left his perfectly ordinary life

behind to live in the wild. At the age of 22 Chris McCandless left his friends and family behind

in Virginia to follow his dream of venturing in Alaska, although he made this decision seemingly

impulsive while not giving any of his loved ones notice that he was leaving. While evaluating

why McCandless made his reckless decision to leave it seems as though he was being selfish in

the beginning of Into the Wild. Krakauer’s non linear style of writing reveals the reasons why

McCandless made the decision to leave his “normal” lifestyle behind. The structural element

that contributes the greatest to Into the Wild’s complexity is Krakauer’s use of a non-linear

narrative. Krakauer's non linear style of writing uncovers new perspectives of McCandless to the

reader at many different periods of the story. This helped develop a reason for McCandless’s

erupt disappearance because of his childhood trauma and obsessions.

In the opening of Into the Wild Krakauer introduces McCandless and narrates the

beginning of his journey, throughout the beginning chapters it is left unknown the reasons behind

McCandless’s decisions which gives the reader a perception of him that is selfish and reckless.

Throughout the chapters Krakauer reveals aspects of McCandless’s life, from his childhood and

the relationships he had with his parents, this alters the perception of McCandless, answering the

question of why would he go on this wild journey. Opinions circulated when people heard about
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McCandless, many people expressed how they, “‘see nothing positive at all about Chris

McCandless’s lifestyle or wilderness doctrine’” (Krakauer, 71). Without reasoning behind the

disappearance of Chris McCandless and why he went off on his adventure the public viewed

McCandless as selfish just leaving his family behind. Krakauer's use of a non-linear style writing

throughout the story develops similar feelings as the public for the reader without explaining his

childhood experiences till the middle. In the middle chapters of Into the Wild Krakauer revealed

McCandless’s traumatic childhood experiences that shifts the perception of McCandless

throughout the rest of the book. The relationship between McCandless’s parents was toxic during

his childhood as they were both busy and were found arguing most of the time, as Krakauer

emphasizes, “Both Walt and Billie are tightly wound, emotional, loath to give around” (Krauker,

107). McCandless felt anger towards his parents throughout his life because he viewed them as

solely caring about money and worked all the time, leaving McCandless and his sister home

alone all the time. McCandless’s relationship with his father was especially unhealthy since he

solely wasn’t a good man, he abused his wife during their arguments and had a double life with

his other family who he kept a secret from McCandless. Krakauer opened Into the Wild without

providing a background of McCandless’s life and the traumatic experiences he’s faced

throughout his childhood. Krauker’s nonlinear style of writing began the story with a negative

perspective of McCandless, leaving his family without notice, although throughout the story

aspects of his toxic relationship with his parents were revealed which justified his sudden

disappearance.

During Chris McCandless’s childhood he became obsessed with certain stories and

connected deeply to them, Krakauer alluded to his obsessions as a possible cause of what

inspired McCandless to venture to Alaska. One of McCandless’s most prominent obsessions

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was Jack London, Chris’s favorite author who wrote about venturing out into extreme natural

conditions. London’s most prominent stories, Call to the Wild and To Build a Fire, inspired

McCandless to make his adventurous decision. McCandless was mesmerized by “London's

fervent condemnation of capitalist society, his glorification of the primordial world, his

championing of the great unwashed—all of it mirrored McCandless's passions” (Krakauer, 44).

While Krakauer highlights McCandless’s obsession with London in Into the Wild he applies that

his stories gave McCandless the idea to leave home and venture into harsh nature surroundings.

Another idea McCandless adopted from London was his anti-capitalist views, McCandless

states, “How I feed myself is none of the government’s business. Fuck their stupid rules”

(Krakauer, 6). McCandless was also inspired by London to go against societal norms and the

government's standards of living. Krakauer mentions how London’s adventures into the wild

weren’t as extreme as McCandless glorified them to be in his mind, even later in life London

became a drunk. Krakauer's non linear structure throughout Into the Wild explains McCandless’s

interest to leave home and venture in Alaska while connecting it to his obsessions with people

like Jack London who promoted similar adventures.

Jon Krakaur’s nonlinear style of writing in Into the Wild added depth in Chris

McCandless’s personality throughout the story. Krakauer opened the book in the middle of

McCandless’s actual life leaving little knowledge of who he was and why he left his family

behind. Throughout the story Krakauer dove deeper into McCandless’s life and uncovered his

traumatic experiences with his parents and his obsession with Jack London. Revealing these

pieces of McCandless’s life changed the selfish and impulsive perspective of him and provided a

greater understanding of why he made the choice to go venture in Alaska. McCandless’s

experiences as a child had a lasting impact on how he turned out as an adult, his unhealthy
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relationship with his parents and influence of Jack London are truly what led him to rebel against

societal norms. It is proven throughout Into the Wild that experiences as a child shape who you

become as an adult and influence the decisions you make during adulthood.
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Works Cited

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Pan Books, 1997.

Skill N Foundational Proficient Advanced

Y

Thesis ● Establishes ● Specific mention ● Effectively

a basic of structural makes a claim
claim elements (and) incorporating a
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Claims ● Makes a ● Previous (and) ● Previous (and)

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

Evidence ● Some ● Includes multiple ● Includes a

evidence pieces of variety of
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clearly relate to well-chosen
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● Includes multiple thesis
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Analysis ● Sometimes ● Accurately ● Explains well-

identifies identifies and selected points

structures conveys of comparison

among evidence
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● Somewhat structures and their

explains ● Explains how connection to

how evidence supports the thesis

evidence topic sentence of

supports individual

topic paragraphs

sentence ● Explains how

and thesis evidence supports

the thesis of the

essay

MLA ● Some ● Heading is ● No errors in

Format 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
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format

Conventions ● Shows ● Most quotes are ● All quotes are

evidence of correctly correctly

basic integrated integrated

proofreadin ● Follows essay ● Shows evidence

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Fluency ● Simple use ● Demonstrates use ● Strong use of of

of of grade level vocabulary,

vocabulary vocabulary, diction, sentence

● Simple diction, sentence structures

sentence structures

structures ● Accurate use of

unit specific

vocabulary (non-

linear, epigraph)