Into the Wild

Hey! I'm Allison S. and my English class is beginning to read the book Into the Wild by John Krakauer. This novel is about Christopher McCandless who, after graduating from college, decided to give away everything that he owned, stop communicating with his family, and runaway from home. He headed to Alaska to begin an adventure with only some rice, a few books, a gun, and a camera. He survived in the wilderness of Alaska for 100 days he later died and his body was found.

John Krakauer Biography

John Krakauer was born in 1954 in Corvallis, Oregon.  He graduated from Hampshire College in 1976.  He began making a living by being a commercial salmon fisherman and also by being a carpenter.  He spent most of his free time in the mountains of Colorado, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest.  In 1996, Krakauer even climbed to the top of Mount Everest.  He first became an author when he wrote the book Into Thin Air which was about his adventure on Mount Everest.  He has been writing for the past twenty years and he has written several award-winning novels.  In 1999, Krakauer won an Academy Award in Literature.  He wrote the book Under the Banner of Heaven in 2003 to symbolize his quest to understand the passion of his Mormon friends to follow their Mormon faith.

A Place in the United States that I Want to See and Experience- The Grand Canyon

A place in the United States that I have never been to, but want to go to is the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  I would get there by airplane.  The Grand canyon is known for the Colorado River that flows straight through the center.  It is also known for its beautiful rock formations and colors and in general its overwhelming size.  The Grand Canyon Skywalk is something that attracts thousands of people to the Grand Canyon every year.  It is a large steel oval that hangs over the edge of the Grand Canyon.  The floor and walls of it are made of glass so the tourists can walk out on to the glass and safely see straight to the bottom of the Canyon.

The weather/climate of the Grand Canyon can be fairly unpredictable during some parts of the year.  Depending on the time of year you visit the Grand Canyon, you should be ready for any type of weather.  If you are going to be hiking the trails at the Grand Canyon you would need any supplies that you would need to hike a long distance.  If you are just going to visit the Grand Canyon or to walk on to the Grand Canyon Skywalk you really do not need any special supplies to have a great time.  I expect that this will be a beautiful sight to see in the United States.  It will be very beautiful to walk onto the Skywalk and be able to see straight down to the bottom of the canyon.  I am very excited to go on this trip to the Grand Canyon.

Characterization Chart of Christopher McCandless

Direct characterization is when the writer explicitly tells the reader what a character looks and acts like.

Indirect characterization is when the writer shows the reader what the character does, says, thinks, and/or feels, and then lets the reader draw his/her own conclusions about the character.


Direct Characterization of Christopher McCandless

“a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family” P. 1 of Author’s Note


“His name turned out to be Christopher Johnson McCandless.” P. 1 of Author’s Note

“he’d excelled academically and had been an elite athlete.” P. 1 of Author’s Note

“He was an extremely intense young man and possessed a streak of stubborn idealism that did not mesh readily with modern existence.” P. 2 of Author’s Note

“He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.” P. 18

“He was what you’d call extremely ethical. He set pretty high standards for himself.” P. 18

“You could tell right away that Alex was intelligent.” P. 18

“Like Rosellini and Waterman, McCandless was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side of nature.” P. 85

“Like Waterman and McCunn, he displayed a staggering paucity of common sense.” P. 85

“But unlike Waterman, McCandless wasn’t mentally ill. And unlike McCunn, he didn’t go into the bush assuming someone would automatically appear to save his bacon before he came to grief.” P. 85


Indirect Characterization of Christopher McCandless

“He didn’t appear to be very old: eighteen, maybe nineteen at most.” P. 3


“he looked friendly” P. 3

“He was congenial and seemed well educated.” P. 5

“Alex didn’t seem too worried.” P. 6

“He was determined. Real gung ho. The word that comes to mind is excited.” P. 6

“an amiable kid” P. 16

“McCandless was smallish with the hard, stringy physique of an itinerant laborer.” P. 16

“There was something arresting about the youngster’s eyes. Dark and emotive, they suggested a trace of exotic blood and conveyed a vulnerability” P. 16

“sensitive good looks” P. 16

“His face had a strange elasticity: It would be slack and expressionless one minute, only to twist suddenly into a gaping, oversize grin that distorted his features and exposed a mouthful of horsy teeth. He was nearsighted and wore steel-rimmed glasses. He looked hungry.” P. 17


Christopher McCandless seems like someone who is trying to live life to the fullest and who is trying to find himself.  I don't think it was right of him to leave his family without telling them where he was going or what he was doing.  He seems very excited to go on the trip, but I'm not sure if he knows what he's getting into as much as he thinks he does.  He is very smart and seems like a very hard worker who will always get the job done.

Symbols of My Life

If I was going to carve symbols that described my life into a leather belt, I would include: a basketball, soccer ball, flute, dog, purse, beach, book, and paint.  I would put a basketball and a soccer ball because I love playing basketball and soccer, and I have been playing both of them for six years.  I would carve a flute into the belt because I have been playing the flute since fourth grade, and I really enjoy it.  I play the flute in band, and I have had a great time making friends in band.  I also play in the pep band at the basketball games which is a lot of fun.  There would be a dog on my belt because I have a dog, and I love anything that pertains to animals.  I love shopping so that is why I would put a purse on my belt.  I would carve something symbolizing a beach on my belt because I love going to the beach and playing in the ocean and the sand.  I enjoy reading books and magazines which is why I would carve a book into the belt.  There would also be something symbolizing paint on my belt because I participate in set crew, and it is really fun to be able to take part in the school musicals.  These are all things that describe my life and my personality.

Google Earth Trip Reaction

This Google Earth Trip was a very interesting way to represent the journey of Chris McCandless across the United States. It helped me visualize exactly where Chris had traveled. The book made it difficult to picture Chris’s actual path because of the way that Krakauer had skipped around while telling Chris’s story. I really enjoyed going through the Google Earth Trip because it didn’t just show you Chris’s path; it had all of the green people lining the path that explained to you what Chris did on each stop and also throughout his entire adventure. It gave you a visual look as to the massive distance that McCandless was able to cover with so few possessions.

Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks, Alaska