FAQs
According to Krakauer, some of his favorite writers were Jack London, Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy and H. G. Wells. He was also heavily influenced by 19th-century American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau, and was engrossed by his essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience.
Is Into the Wild based off a true story? ›
ADN made no attempt to fact check the sections of "Into the Wild" dealing with McCandless' life Outside before his death in Alaska, but a fact check of the Alaska section of the book -- a book now taught in classrooms across America as "the true story of Chris McCandless" -- makes it clear the Alaska section of the ...
What was Chapter 17 about in Into the Wild? ›
In Chapter 17, Krakauer tells the first-person story of his own journey to the bus where McCandless dies. Krakauer and his companions are able to cross the Teklanika River because they know of a gauging station where they can cross. McCandless did not know about this station because he did not have a map.
What happened in chapter 14 of Into the Wild? ›
In Chapter 14 of Into the Wild, the book becomes autobiographical as writer Krakauer tells us about himself and his own personal affinity for protagonist Chris McCandless. We learn that Krakauer had issues with his own father similar to those McCandless had.
What was the inspiration for Into the Wild? ›
"Into the Wild" is the true story of Chris McCandless, a 24-year-old honors graduate from a privileged East Coast family who died a lonely, painful death in the Alaskan bush.
Who was Chris McCandless similar to? ›
Everett Ruess and Chris McCandless were similar in a number of ways. To begin, they both attended college but weren't very fond of it. They both knew this wasn't how they wanted to spend their lives. By knowing this, they both left their old lives behind them and began tramping around alone.
Who is the real character in Into the Wild? ›
Into the Wild is author Jon Krakauer's 1996 nonfiction book about Chris McCandless, a young man who disappeared in 1990 and set off on an epic adventure that took him across the United States. McCandless' adventure ended when he attempted to live off the land near the Stampede Trail in Alaska and died in 1992.
Who is the real girl from wild? ›
Cheryl Strayed (/ˈstreɪd/; née Nyland; born September 17, 1968) is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch (2006) and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012), Tiny Beautiful Things (2012) and Brave Enough (2015).
What mental illness does Chris have in Into the Wild? ›
"No longer to be poisoned by civilization," he wrote, "he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild." Note the third-person reference to himself there. It's a textbook signal for schizophrenia. Lost is a good place to be if you suffer from this particular mental illness too.
What is chapter 18 about in Into the Wild? ›
In Chapter Eighteen, Krakauer examines the mistakes and reversals that colored McCandless's final days in detail, providing a final series of implicit answers to his investigation of McCandless's fate and concluding Into the Wild's primary plot line.
What happens in Chapter 9 of "Into the Wild"? Chapter 9 tells the story of Everett Ruess, a young 1930s hiker whom Krakauer views as a kindred spirit of McCandless's, and of the papar, a group of medieval Irish monks who made a dangerous trip from the coast of Ireland to Iceland.
Who is chapter 16 of Into the Wild about? ›
Chapter 16 of Jon Krakauer′s Into the Wild details Chris McCandless and his adventure into the Alaskan wilderness. After he leaves Carthage, South Dakota, he hitchhikes all the way to the brink of the Yukon Territory.
What is Chapter 13 about in Into the Wild? ›
Chapter 13 of Into the Wild gives us a closer look at Chris's family after his death. We learn of how he and his sister, Carine, were very close, despite their differences in their monetary pursuits. The family wonders if the same fate would have occurred if Chris had been let to take the family dog with him.
What was Chapter 11 of Into the Wild about? ›
Chapter 11 shares the family history and life of the young Christopher McCandless. Here, Krakauer provides insights into Walter McCandless growing up in poverty and working his way to success with his wife, Billie. Their lives are retold to shed light on Christopher McCandless's childhood.
What happened chapter 10 Into the Wild? ›
In Chapter 10 of Into the Wild, Krakauer describes the long and drawn-out process it took to discover Chris McCandless's identity after his body was found in the Alaskan wilderness. Chris had died while wearing a sweatshirt bearing the logo of a Santa Barbara towing company. The police used this as their first lead.
What motivated Chris McCandless? ›
Author Jon Krakauer explains McCandless quest for nature not only as a search for the beauty and quietness of nature, but also as a desire for danger. McCandless wanted to escape from safety and security.
What author did Chris McCandless admire? ›
Jack London was Chris McCandless's favorite author because London wrote about the powerful experiences of living in extreme natural surroundings, particularly the Yukon area during the Klondike Gold Rush.
How was Chris McCandless influenced by Leo Tolstoy? ›
Russian author Leo Tolstoy seemingly touched on themes and ideas throughout his writings that young American wanderer Chris McCandless could relate to and admire: Tolstoy seemingly rejected materialistic pursuits and a quiescent life in favor of self-actualization through doing and experiencing, ideas McCandless ...
Was Chris McCandless inspired by Thoreau? ›
Both left normal lives to live off the land and both loved that lifestyle to death. Chris even took inspiration from thoreau and took his book, Walden, into the Alaskan bush with him. However, McCandless and Thoreau are very different in their desire to move, social interactions, and their spiritual journeys.