In 1993, the author of Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer, published an article in the Outside magazine about Christopher J. McCandless, a vagabond, nature enthusiast, and dropout from society, who left his home in 1992 for a journey into the wilderness in the American West. In 1996, Krakauer published the book Into the Wild for which he revises his research by chronicling the travels of Chris McCandless and explaining what it was that drove a young man, equipped with only a 10-pound bag of rice and a small-caliber rifle, to embark on such an adventure.
In 1990, Chris graduates from Emory University in Atlanta, donates all his savings to the OXFAM charity, which is about $24 000, and starts to travel to the American West. His main …show more content…
On the one hand, he uses objectivity by providing an extensive amount of research, evidence, and testimonies that makes this story authentic and trustworthy. On the other hand, however, he triggers the reader’s emotions by making them sympathize with Chris’ bitter fate and revealing his feelings about Chris’ story when he compares his experiences to his own. Consequently, Krakauer also provides a subjective perspective on Chris’ story, which is unusual for the non-fiction genre. I would like elaborate a few chapters that make this argument clearer. Secondly, looking at the composition and structure of this book will provide further interesting observations regarding Krakauer’s intentions to create a vivid image of Chris. I will explain the chronological order that Krakauer chose for this book, which distinguishes his non-fiction from a fiction. Furthermore, I will look at the language and the narration style that the author used. Another important thing is the unusual format he used for this book. Each chapter opens with epigraphs that include maps, quotes, and personal letters to highlight Chris’ thoughts and desires. In the end of my paper, I would like to discuss the idea of nature and how it is related to Chris’ story, as well as the effect that this book had on the public, especially young imitators and the Alaskans; but also the effect that it had on Jon Krakauer himself.
By responding to critics and questions with an extensive investigation, and by explaining Chris’ McCandless intentions after evaluating his personal notes and comparing his behavior to his own experiences, Jon Krakauer constructs an image of a young man and gives him a passive voice in order to retell his