Activity 1:Introduction

IntotheWildisa nonfiction,full-lengthtextbyJonKrakauer. Publishedin1996, itisbasedonanarticleKrakauerwroteinOutside MagazineaboutChristopherMcCandless, a youngcollegegraduate whowentofftoAlaskaanddiedinthewoods.BecauseKrakauer’s articledrewa hugeamount ofmailtothemagazine,hedecidedto writea bookaboutthisinterestingcharacter.ChrisMcCandlesswas anidealistic youngmanwhoformed a lifephilosophybasedonhis experienceandhisreadingincollege.Hisidealism, ironically,ledtohisdeathbystarvation.He madechoicesthatseemedfoolishas welookatthemnow.ButMcCandlessgenuinelylovedtheoutdoors andwantedtoliveintheworld withoutallthetrappingsofmoney andhismiddle-classupbringing.IntotheWildis,ina way,a mystery story.We’reunsureas towhyherejectedhisfamily, whyhewasso angrywiththem,andwhyhechosetoheadforAlaska.

Quickwrite:Writeforthreetofiveminutes ononeofthefollowing prompts:

Thinkaboutyourexperiencehiking,backpacking,and/orexisting in thewild.Whatarethebenefitsofanyoneoftheseactivities?

or

Thinkaboutsomealternativeplansyoumight havetobeginning collegeimmediatelyafterhighschool.Whatmight youdo?Why would youdoit,andforhowlongcouldyousee yourself doingthat activity?

or

Thinkaboutanexperienceyouhavehadwhenyouwerealoneand madesomemisjudgmentsthatcouldhaveledtodisaster,butdidn’t. (Itdoesn’thavetobeintheoutdoors.)Whatmiscalculationsdidyou makeandhowdidyouavoiddisaster?

Keepthisinitial freewritein a notebook or in a dedicated section in your binder.

Activity 2: (To Be Done as HW)Making Predictions and Asking Questions

Krakauerwroteanarticleentitled “Death ofanInnocent”in1993. He followedthepathofChrisMcCandlessinthepagesofOutside Magazine.He laterexpandedthearticleintoa book,andin2007, SeanPennmadethebookintoa movie.Forinterviewsandmore backgroundonthebookandmovie,gototheOutsideMagazine website: Into-the-Wild.html.Thenanswerthe following questions in your notebook.

  1. Whatdoyouknoworassumeabouta magazinecalledOutside

Magazine?Whodoyouthinktheintended readersare?

  1. WhydoyouthinkKrakauerwrotethisparticularbook?
  1. Whatdoyouthinkmadethisstorysopopular?Whatdoyouthink peoplefoundengaging aboutit?

Writeyouranswers onseparate sheet of paper.

Activity 3:ReadingtheAuthor’sNote

Manyreadersskiptheauthor’snotethatbeginsa book,butthisnote byKrakauerisparticularlyinterestingandwillguideyourreadingofhisbook.Read thethree-pageauthor’snotebeforeyoubeginto readthework.Thenformgroupsofthreeorfour,anddiscussthe followingquestions:

  1. Whatmight McCandless’smotives havebeenforhisbehavior(par.3)?
  1. Howdifficultwould itbetoinventa newlife?
  1. Inparagraph4, Krakauerintroducessomethemesofthebook.

Discussthesethemes.

  1. Inparagraph 5, Krakauerwarnsusthathewillnotbeanimpartial biographer.Whatdoesthismean?Areallbiographersimpartial? Whatmight weexpectfromKrakauer?
  1. Inthelastparagraph, KrakauerintroducesthecomplexityofChris McCandless.Keepinmindthefollowingfourquestions as you readthetext:

•ShouldweadmireMcCandlessforhiscourageandnoble ideas?

•Washea recklessidiot?

•Washecrazy?

•Washeanarrogant andstupidnarcissist?

Reading (Chapters 1-7)

Activity 4:First Readings

ReadingChapters1 and 2:The Beginningand theEnd

Notetheepigraphs thatbegineachofthesechapters.Oneisbya friendofChrisMcCandlessandtheotherisbyMcCandlesshimself, followedbya quotationfromWhiteFang,byJackLondon.Inyour notebook, makenoteofallthemapsthatbeginthetext.

WhatisyourassessmentofChrisMcCandlesssofar?Keepnotesas youread,ask questions ofthetext,andwritedownyourreactions.

ReadingChapter 3:Home

Jotdownyourthoughtsonthefollowingquestions:

  1. WhatwasWesterberg like?Whatkindofcharacterdidhehave?
  1. WhatwasMcCandlesslike?Whatkindofcharacterdidhehave?

Wouldyouhavelikedtoknowhim?

  1. WhydidMcCandlessstartcallinghimself Alex?Didthismakea difference inhowherelatedtopeople?

Reading Chapters 4–7: The Journey

StudythemapthatbeginsChapter4 andrefertoitas youfollow McCandless’sjourney. Jotdownanswerstothefollowingas you readthesechapters:

  1. Inyournotebook, listthepeopleMcCandlessmetalongtheway.
  1. WhatwasitaboutMcCandless’spersonalitythatmadean impressiononpeople?
  1. NoteMcCandless’sjournal. Whydoyouthinkheavoidedusing thefirstpersonwhenhetalkedabouthimself?Whydoesn’the usethepronoun “I”?
  1. WhatisthepurposeofChapter4?
  1. CharacterizeRonaldFranz. Whatkindofa humanbeingwashe? Didhehaveyoursympathy?Whyorwhynot?
  1. WhatmoredidyoulearnaboutMcCandless’srelationshipwith hisfather?Doyouthinkhisangerisjustified? Whyorwhynot?

Activity 5:First Impressions

NowthatyouhavereadChapters1-7, openyournotebook tothe predictionsyoumadeinActivity4. Answerthefollowingquestions:

  1. Whichofyourpredictionsturnedouttobetrue?
  1. Whatsurprised you?
  1. Ifyourpredictionwasinaccurate,whatinthetextmisledyou?
  1. What,ifanything,isconfusingtoyou?
  1. Whyistheauthortellingyouthisstory?
  1. Howhastheauthorchangedwhatyouunderstandaboutthe situation?
  1. Whoistheauthorandhowhastheauthor’s perspective and attitudeinfluencedyourthoughtsaboutMcCandlessandhis situation?