Into the Wild Chapter Questions I can: RN 3.1 Analyze author’s choices in structure/ story development RN 2.1 Cite textual evidence to support my analysis SL.2.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly and persuasively. SL.2.2 Stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned debate and exchange of ideas by referring to specific evidence from materials under study SL.2.4 Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives

Ch 1-2 (dropping him off/finding him dead) What differences exist then & today toward picking up hitchhikers? Evaluate his level of preparedness & gear. What responsibility does Galien hold for reporting Chris’s actions to authorities? Did he do enough? What motivation do you think Chris had? “magnet for dreamers & misfits” (4) “patch holes in their lives” (4) Evaluate how Krakauer decides to unfold the fate of Chris. Why does he structure it this way? Does the length of time from drop-off to found surprise you?

Ch 3 (Carthage/Westerburg/last contact) What part of this “history, oppression, law, irksome obligation” do you most need escape from? Add 3 concepts to the list. What clues exist to Chris’s ‘issues?’ Evaluate Westerburg’s relationship with Chris. What did they find in each other that each man needed? Krakauer chooses to start many chapters with vivid descriptions of the setting. What does this add to the story? Why does he do this? “no longer give or accept gifts” (20) “bought my respect” (21) “stifling world of parents and peers” (22) “free to wallow in unfiltered experience” (23) Why does McCandless bother to finish college? What does this tell us? How do his journals and quote selections communicate so much about his life?

Ch 4 (Car/Canoe/arrested/PI/near death) Evaluate Chris’s ability to “flout the law.”(28) What does this say about him? How do his actions compare to your understanding of “Civil Disobedience?” How do people do this today? Critique the actions of his parents once they saw his ticket? Analyze how reliant he is on other’s help. Does this seem in line with the intentions of his adventure? Of all the obstacles readers learn of in Ch. 4, which would you find the most difficult to deal with? Which would be the easiest for you? Why do you think Alex Supertramp’s journals are in the 3rd person? “McCandless did not misrepresent the facts; telling the truth was a credo he took seriously.” (29)

Ch 5 (McDonalds/Jan Burress/character traits) What’s so “primordial” about adventure? (38) Krakauer chooses to share a lot of information about Chris through interviews of others. What do we find out about Chris from his McDonalds' boss? What is critical from Jan Burres? Why does Chris have such a hard time accepting things from others? “tired of punching a clock, tired of the ‘plastic people’” (43). “McCandless revealed virtually nothing about his family” (45) What actions should the government take with settlements like “The Slabs?” (43) Evaluate the irony of Chris’s infatuation with Jack London.

Ch 6 (Ron Franz) Think of the individuals Chris has befriended so far. What is the common link to those that help Chris? How are they different? Who benefits more? How does Chris differ from those in the camps he hangs out at? What do you think of his belt? Where does his desire to flout the law and authority come from? Was it fair to Ron Franz that Alex got so close only to leave him? How did you respond to Ron’s reaction to Chris’s letter and death?

Ch 6 (Ron Franz) “…evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it.” (55) “so many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism…nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit than a secure future.” (57) “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only from human relationships.” (57)

Ch 7 (Parents/Sex/high school/ideals) After reading Ch. 7, do you like him more or less? Cite evidence What reaction do you have to Chris’s willful plan to “completely knock them out of my life?” (64) Was his goal to emulate the authors he admired? What do you make of the discussion of his sexuality? What do you make of the last letters he left behind? How much do you trust the intuition of those interviewed? Analyze the following quotes: “chastity and moral purity” 65 “flying would be cheating” 67 “Hungry to learn things”67 “there was something fascinating about him”67 “no common sense” 65

Ch 8 (3 similar individuals) Which of the Outside magazine reader letter quotes do you most agree or disagree with? Why? Hubris is defined as “excessive pride or self-confidence.” Others use this term to describe Chris. Do you agree that this concept of hubris fits him or not? Why? Compare/Contrast the 3 individuals Krakauer discusses. Is it fair to lump Chris in with these men?

Ch 9 (Everett Ruess) Pick 3 Quotes that sound like McCandless’s point of view. Analyze how the two young men align. Compare how both men were inspired by literature and describe in what way Analyze/Discuss the significance of the following quotes 90 “he went out and did things he dreamed about” 91 “lone wanderer of the wilderness” 91 “unsatisfied with the life as people live it”

Ch 10 (news stories/searching for true identity) Which story of how the people in his life found out is the most remarkable? What is ironic about who found out and called to report a connection to Chris?

Ch 11 Walt/Billie/high school Compile a list of information, key quotes, and background that shed light on each of the following: Walt McCandless Billie McCandless Teenaged Chris McCandless What stands out among these details as ‘telling’ of his future actions? Find the ‘writing on the wall’….

CH 12 (College/Walt’s Secret) 13 (Carinne) Does Walt’s secret warrant Chris’s reaction? Do Chris’s actions seem more or less justified after reading this chapter? Why? Do his parents enforce rules enough with Chris? What traits stand out about his college years? What significance do they hold? What type of emotion do you feel for Carinne? Should they be surprised Chris was found dead? Do they hold any fault? Is it fair for Chris to hurt his sister this way? How can two kids from the same family react so differently to the same situations?

Ch 14-15 Skip (Krakauer’s personal story)

Ch 17-epilogue What in your life evokes a “pleasure of suffering the novelty of danger? (157) What do you think it is about McCandless’ personality that makes him so easy to befriend when people don’t originally intend to? 159 Stuckey gives a lot of insight into Chris’s motivation. What does this help readers discover or answer? What is your impression of the inscription he wrote on the bus? 163 Is it “ironic” that his great wild Alaskan adventure doesn’t’ qualify as anywhere near wild Alaska? Does this change your view of him? What should Krakauer have done differently? What questions do you still have? What would you like to research or know more about now that you are done?