Chapters 1-4 "Into the Wild"

Who is Alex? (chapter 1)

Alex is Chris McCandless' new identity.

What was ironic about the rangers' use of the Datsun? (chapter 4)

Bc Chris thought it was worthless when it didn't work after flood, but actually it worked really well and drove for a long time w the police department.

What did McCandless do when he gets back into the US? (chapter 4)

Caught by immigration authorities and spent night in jail Went east.

Why did McCandless leave Carthage? (chapter 3)

Chris McCandless ends up leaving Carthage because Wayne Westerberg is put in the clink for a little while because he tried to make "black boxes" that pick up reception for satellite TV without paying for it.

What evidence does Krakauer give that McCandless continued to be fond of Carthage and consider Westerberg his friend? (chapter 3)

Chris gave the book War and Peace and stayed in touch w westerberg (calling or writing) Said S. Dakota was home

What did McCandless's parents learn form the investigator? (chapter 4)

Chris had given away college funds and learned abandoned car and confused them

Why did the author say that McCandless found a "surrogate family in Westerberg and his employees? (chapter 3)

Chris leaves his family and home in the East, but finds another home and family in Carthage, SD. They aren't his real family, but he feels like they are. They take the place of his old family.

The headnote to this chapter concludes that people go to the desert "not to escape but to find reality." How does this statement apply to McCandless? (chapter 4)

Chris technically "retreated to the dessert" to find his true purpose in his life.

Describe McCandless's early years and family life. (chapter 3)

Chris' early life is good. His parents take him places, and he does well in school. This, however, means little to him. He doesn't like his parents because of their ideology and he does well in school, but it means little to him.

For what purpose did the rangers decide to use the Datsun? (chapter 4)

Datsun was used to make arrests for drug dealers.

How did McCandless get to the ocean? (chapter 4)

Duck hunters drop in at gulf of california -- they were traveling south.

Why did Gallien decide not alert the authorities about McCandless? (chapter 1)

Gallien figured McCandless would be ok and would probably end up heading back to the highway.

How does the reader know that Chris McCandless went on long trips alone in his car? (chapter 3)

Habit of taking solo trips when class wasn't in session *he told his parents we was going on a trip

What kind of worker was McCandless, and how did Westerberg evaluate him? (chapter 3)

Hardest worker i have ever seen Did all the dirty work and never quit, extremely ethical and high standards Intelligent

What existential conclusion does McCandless reach when leaving Las Vegas? (existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes that individual responsibility and free will to direct the course of their life). (chapter 4)

He believed that pictures are not important - it's the experiences, memories, and the joy of living life to the fullest.

Describe the trip McCandless took with the canoe. (chapter 4)

He canoed across a lake and down several rivers to the Mexican border. He used it to illegally pass the border and then move through the marsh and rivers on the other side. He got lost a couple times and finally got a lift to the ocean. After his tiny craft nearly submerged, Chris dumped it on the sand and moved on.

What change did McCandless make that symbolized the new life expected to build after he left Atlanta? (chapter 3)

He changed his name to Alexander Supertramp.

What clues did McCandless give that he was out of sept with the commercialism of contemporary society? (chapter 3)

He did not believe in recieving or giving presents. A lot of Americans do this now, so it is a bit odd that he doesn't want to at all.

How did McCandless's parents learn where he was, and what did they do with the information? (chapter 4)

He had been ticketed for hitchhiking and gave the cops that his was where was his parents lived for place of residence THEN got a private investigator Peter

How does Krakauer know that in 1992, "six people in three separate parties happened to visit the remote vehicle on the same afternoon"? (chapter 2)

He interviewed them and they were all talking about how hard the river was to cross. Also, they were the people who found Chris in the bus.

What kind of advice did Gallien give McCandless? (chapter 1)

He said the hunting was not easy where is was going - going days without hunting (trying to scare Chris out of it) Gallien told Chris to get hunting license. [He encouraged him to not go or at least take food with him. Also made an offer to drive him to Anchorage.

Describe Westerberg's first encounter with McCandless, including the hospitality Mccandless was offered? (chapter 3)

Hospitality: Westerberg offers him food and cooked dinner and he said he could take Chris down the road, but didn't want to leave him and then Westerberg offered for him to stay with him at his house.

Why would Krakauer include a quote from another author (jack London) as the heading for this chapter? (chapter 2)

Important to Chris because it was his favorite book. The quote from Jack London expresses a deeper meaning that Krakauer felt would best show resemblance to Chapter 2 than anything he would personally use.

What is the purpose of the quoted material at the start of Chapter One? (chapter 1)

It draws the attention of all readers, which results with the reader now drawn into the story.

Who is Jim Gallien, and how did he meet McCandless? (chapter 1)

Jim Gallien is a union electrician. When he was on his way to Anchorage, he found Chris. Chris was standing in show behind the road, thumb raised high, and shivering.

What are Krakauer's credentials for writing Into the Wild? (chapter 1)

Krakauer was an author and a journalist for "Outside Magazine"

What did McCandless give Gallien, and what was McCandless's behavior toward the older man? (chapter 1)

McCandless gave Gallien: 1. All his extra $ (85 cents) 2. Watch 3. Comb McCandless's behavior showed readers that he liked the older man the more he got to know him, but was also standoffish and did not want advice.

What was McCandless's financial background? (chapter 3)

Middle class (well off) in Virginia

What did McCandless buy when he was in Topock, Arizona, and where did he get the money? (chapter 4)

Old metal Canoe; Westerberg $

Who is Wayne Westerberg? (chapter 3)

Owner of a grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota, who meets Chris while giving him a hitchhike in 1990. Gives Chris multiple jobs and becomes close to him.

What did McCandless retrieve when he returned to the Detrital Wash? (chapter 4)

Retrieves his virginia plates and some of belongings.

What did Gallien give McCandless? (chapter 1)

Rubber boots Phone number Plus the food Gallien's wife made for him *Chris asks Gallien to take a pic of him before he enters the wild.*

Why did Jan Burres feel an attachment to McCandless? (chapter 4)

She had a son who is the same age as Alex but has been distant (no longer close) and wanted to take him w them

Whois Jan Burres, and how did she figure into McCandless's travels? (chapter 4)

She is a rubber tramp who gave Chris a lift (she felt bad for him) Talk sense into him He sent her postcards throughout his travels.

What was considered to be the cause of Chris McCandless's death? (chapter 2)

Starvation was assumed to be the cause of his death.

What was the motivation for abandoning the Datsun, and why was the find of the car important? (chapter 4)

The motivation was that the Datsun's engine got ruined from a flood and wouldn't work. *Important because it helped with police work.*

How did the police know the boy was that of Chris McCandless? (chapter 2)

The police took his photos he had taken of himself; able to identify him from an atotpsy. *His signature had been on the SOS note and the photos included self-portraits.*

What was the purpose of the Author's Note? (chapter 1)

The purpose was to show the author of "Into the Wild" personal feeling of connection to Chris McCandless' story.

How did McCandless's parents find out that he had left Atlanta? (chapter 3)

The room was empty and had a rent sign and manager said he had moved out in June (all the letters he had sent been returned)

What is the purpose of the detailed descriptions of Mt. McKinley, Denali, and the Stampede Trail? (chapter 2)

These details give readers an idea of where Chris was staying was like. Chris didn't just go for a walk in the woods or out of town; He truly went into the wild.

The terms leather tramp and rubber tramp qualify as examples of local color. What culture do they describe, and what is the difference between rubber tramps and leather tramps? (chapter 3)

These terms symbolize the culture of people who live. on the road and rails, like tramp hobos, and other vagabonds. Rubber tramps: cars Leather tramps: have to walk or hitchhike (Chris)

Gallien's statement that McCandless would "probably get hungry pretty quick and just walk out to the highway. That's what any normal person would do," is an example of the literary device of irony. What is ironic about the statement? (chapter 1)

This is an example of irony in a situation because Gallien thought McCandless would just call the whole thing off, but Gallien was wrong. McCandless decided to keep his journey going. That's the irony.

What was McCandless's response to Gallien's offer? (chapter 1)

Wasn't afraid running out of food Didn't care about government or wanting to get shooting license. ["No thanks. I'll be fine with what I got."]

How does the reader know that War and Peace was important to McCandless? (chapter 3)

We know War and Peace was important to Chris because he carries a copy of it with him on his journey, reads it several times, and references it in a letter to Wayne.

What is the personal history of Chris McCandless? (chapter 1)

Went to emory university- graduated with honors Raised in upper class Virginia. He was always adventurous and born from a wealthy family.

This chapter (4) contains numerous excerpts from the journal McCandless kept. WHat is noticeable about the writing in his account of his Mexican adventure? (chapter 4)

Writes in third person People are nicer and positive!! Sections are brief

What themes does Krakauer introduce in the Author's Note? (chapter 1)

1. Grip wilderness has on the imagination. 2. Something about young men who involve themselves with actives of risk. 3. Bond between fathers and sons is complicated.

When does Westerberg encounter McCandless again? (chapter 3)

A couple weeks later, and gives him a job on the grain elevator, and rents him a room.