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JT Kench

F-block

Smith

12/22/23

The non-linear structure of “Into the Wild”’s impact on the character of McCandless

The Structural base of Into the Wild formed a character, Chris Mccandles, open to all

forms of interpretation. The plot of Krakauer’s book was often broken up into parts where he

went from the past to the future and back again. The author often details anecdotes from

McCandless' survival in the wild, then follows up with the details and the people he met to get

there. Krakauer shows how the lack of true parenting during his childhood, although he was

financially well off, made him crave the same isolation he had experienced as a child. The story

reveals the bonds that he forms with everyone along the way and how it eventually came back

to McCandless wanting human interaction once again. The stories that Krakaur includes, at

nonlinear intervals throughout the book, provide insight into why McCandless left his life to live

as a nomadic adventurer and later, shows his eventual reasoning, portrayed by the stories of joy

Mcandles shared with others, for a change of mindset when it comes to living in society.

Krakauer places the idea of McCandless wanting to break away from society in the

reader's head, after and during the time he makes his journey to Alaska. In the earlier sections

of the book, there is a clear and developing disconnect between him and his parents, with them

both always working and not understanding Chris’s needs. In an early chapter, an idea of his

parents, Walt and Billie, not understanding his character was implanted into the reader's mind.

Chris finally snaps at once and sends a letter to his sister ,Carine, about his new plan, which

states “I’m going to completely knock them out of my life. I’m going to divorce them as my

parents once and for all and never speak to either of those idiots again as long as I live. I’ll be
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through with them once and for all, forever”. Krakauer does a really great job in showing the

harsh development between him and his parents, whilst also showing that the only person he

could effectively communicate his feelings with was his sister. Carine was the only person who

could begin to understand him, or tried to in the household. For example, Carine stated

“Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to

each other so often.” The strength of their bond was amplified through the structure of the story,

as Krakauer includes letters that Chris wrote back to his sister from time to time at intervals

throughout the novel. These letters are significant in their own way as it shows, although

Mccandless is breaking away from everyone in society and plans to live in complete isolation,

he still finds the time and the need to detail his journeys to his sister Carine.

The author consistently switches back and forth from the present and past in the latter

half of the story in order to better amplify McCandless' longing for human interaction. The novel

goes into detail about McCandless’ time he spends working in South Dakota in a grain elevator.

The people there enjoy his company, and he makes friends. After his time in Bullhead city, he

was described as the following : “He needed his solitude at times, but he wasn’t a hermit. He did

a lot of socializing. Sometimes I think it was like he was storing up company for the times when

he knew nobody would be around”. In contrast to how McCandless remained antisocial in his

past, slow life, Chris could often find himself getting to know others and spending time enjoying

their company. Despite this, most of his peers said how he was ever focused on his trip and life

in Alaska. Another of McCandless’ bonds with people he meets can be seen in the form of his

relationship with an old man named Franz. Chris or “Alex” at the time formed a strong

relationship with Franz after receiving a ride from him in California. They quickly formed a

paternal-like bond, and Franz even offered to adopt Chris as a grandchild, yet McCandless

remained the man how his adventures into nature were his calling and purpose in life. The

stories like these when intertwined with his current status and actions in Alaska push his

narrative of longing human interaction within the book. This evidence is one of the many parts
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that foreshadows the longing of interaction that McCandless would go through. His philosophy

at the time was that “(McCandless) wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I

wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a

superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life”. The truth is, when

Mccandless settles into a new area he is generally pretty likable, and does enjoy the moments

he shares with other people, however, he generally places his love of nature above the love of

others.

Upon the latter end of McCandless’ journey in the North, and where he begins to starve

and suffer, the story switches back and forth between old accounts of his time and society and

his current state of struggle. Stories such as his relationship with Franz, his time in South

Dakota, and living in Slab city are included between the chapters of McCandles physical and

mental downfall in Alaska. The author does this to explain how Chris was actually happy in

society, at least one that encompassed people with souls like his, and his pursuit of a more

spiritual and nature based happiness which he considered to be “the masterful and

incommunicable wisdom of eternity…” may have led to his demise. At the time of McCandless

death, Krakauer includes a small, but heavily important detail of the spiritual development of

McCandless. His presumed last message to the world: “Happiness is only real when shared”.

The seemingly simple sentence carries so much meaning to the structure and development of

McCandless’ values as the beauty of nature which he assumed to be self fulfilling in isolation,

can only be enjoyed with human companionship.

The structure of the story, based on a real man, allows the author to accurately depict

the life of McCandles and the leading factors of his actions and beliefs. The non-linear pattern of

storytelling reveals the various factors which may have led to McCandles need for belonging in

society. Switching from the fast paced hurdled society that McCandless claimed to hate, but

simultaneously found sanctuary in once he found a community of people like him, and back to

his growing struggles as a result of his self-made isolation, allowed Krakauer to effectively prove
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the point that McCandless missed a sense of belonging. His bonds formed with Franz, and his

friends in Slab City and Nebraska, prove the fact that Chris could in fact be a part of society and

joyous one at that, however, he believed his true purpose was to live life nomadically, and he

could not find himself tied down to one spot. Krakauer’s depiction of Chris’s subtle downfall

additionally emphasizes the safety McCandles could’ve had in society, and how it could’ve

saved him. In conclusion, the intertwining of the stories of McCandless’ dissolving happiness in

the wild and stories of the happy companionship he found within society effectively projects

McCandless’s yearning for the community that society has to offer.

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
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Analysis Sometimes Accurately Explains

identifies identifies and well-selected
structures conveys points of
Somewhat structures comparison
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)
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