Into The Wild Final - Study Guide

How did Ron meet Chris?

- Ron noticed Chris around town and simply offered him a ride to his camp

What skill did Ron teach Chris? What did he make using this skill?

- Ron taught Chris leather-making - Chris created a leather belt detailing his adventures and travels so far

What would've helped Chris escape that he was unaware of?

- a basket and pulley system that spanned the Teklanika river

What is assumed happened to Chris?

- assumed Chris starved to death

What did he write in bold print in the margin of his copy of Dr. Zhivago?

- happiness is only real when shared

Who is John Muir?

- he is a famous naturalist and avid outdoorsman who founded the Sierra Club

Describe the adventures of the following "dreamy half-cocked greenhorns": Vietnam Vet

- he wanted to "get away from people", but ran out of food and starved, not making any attempt to save himself

Why does Krakauer speculate that Chris wanted to leave Alaska?

- his diary notes entries like, "Patch Jeans, Shave!, Organize pack..." - he took a snapshot of himself, clean-shaven - he noted passages from books that discussed happiness is a life with others

What did Gallien notice about the hitchhiker's feelings about the government?

- hitchhiker's scoffed at the idea of a hunting license, said, "F*&% their stupid rules"

What is your reaction to the New York Times article on page 98?

- knowing the real Chris it is interesting to hear what the press initially thought about him

Why does Carine wish Chris had taken Buck with him?

- presumes Chris wouldn't have taken so many chances with Buck at his side

Describe Chris's relationship with the sport of running:

- running was a spiritual calling for Chris - was a natural

Why does Forsberg suspect Chris had trashed the cabins? Why does Krakauer rule him out?

- Forsberg says Chris is a likely suspect because of his views on the government, and it would've been likely for Chris to trash the cabins as a "F*%& You" to the government - Krakauer rules him out because Chris doesn't boast about it in his journal

When Ron learned of Chris's death, how did he react?

- He renounced his religion and tried to drink himself to death

McCandless is compared to a "latter-day Henry David Thoreau". Explain who this person is:

- Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden and Civil Disobedience - rejected societal conformities and encouraged others to do the same - spent 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days at his cabin, detailing the events in Life in the Woods

This chapter begins with a quote from Jack London. Who is he and what has he written?

- Jack London is a famous American novelist, known for works like, "Call of the Wild", "White Fang" that celebrate Alaska, the last frontier

We meet Jan Burres and Bob. Describe them:

- Jan + Bob are rubber tramps traveling the country selling used books and things out of their RV - are hippy dreamers living a counter-culture lifestyle

What is Krakauer's final theory about Chris's death?

- Krakauer believes Chris ate moldy seeds and was poisoned by a chemical called swainsonine

What happened to Ron's family? Why do you suppose Ron took such a liking to Chris?

- Ron's wife and son were killed by a drunk driver - Ron reminded him of the son that he lost and acted like a father figure

What is a Rubicon? Why is this Chris's Rubicon?

- Rubicon is a point of no return - the Teklanika is Chris's point of no return, although he doesn't know it yet

What did Bud Walsh discover in Lake Mead National Recreation Area? Be specific.

- Walsh discovered a yellow Datsun covered by a tarp - the vehicle was abandoned, with stripped plates and registration info

Who is Wayne Westerberg? Where does he live? What was his relation to Chris (Alex)?

- Wayne owns a grain elevator in Carthage, S.D. - he was Chris's employer for a while

How did Westerberg describe Chris's work ethic? How else did he characterize him?

- Wayne said Chris was tireless and did the dirty jobs without complaining - he also said he was kind of spacey

How would you characterize Chris's relationship with his parents as time passed?

- a wall went up - was divorcing them, eliminating them from his life

What did Thompson, Samel, and Swanson find on the door of the bus? Who else was at the bus that day?

- an ominous note was taped to the bus - two spooked hikers were also at the bus that day

Describe the adventures of the following "dreamy half-cocked greenhorns": Countercultural Idealist

- announced that he was going to spend the rest of his life "communing with nature", he disappeared and never seen again

What similarities do you notice between Evrett Ruess's letter and the postcards Chris sent to Wayne, Jan & Bob:

- are hauntingly similar - they could've been written by Chris and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference

Chris's childhood had both good and bad times. Give a few examples of each:

- bad times: money was tight, there was financial strain, Chris's parents were always working, fighting, and threatening divorce - good times: road trips to the Carolinas and Colorado, camping, raising wildlife, climbing mountains

How did Chris feel about killing the moose?

- because he was unable to preserve the meat he considered it the worst disaster of his life

How long had Chris McCandless been dead? What did they decide to do about the body?

- body had been there for a while based on the smell and decomposition - decided to contact the authorities and have the body taken to Anchorage for an autopsy

What was ironic about the "wilderness" surrounding the bus?

- by Alaskan standards it's not very remote - it's less than thirty miles to a highway - 16 miles to the Denali National Park border - within a six-mile radius of the bus were four cabins

What was ironic about the car after its discovery? Who did the car belong to?

- car wasn't in fact completely defunct, it just needed a jump start and it ran like a champ for years afterward - car belonged to Chris McCandless

Why did Chris's relationship with his parents deteriorate?

- discovered on one of his cross-country wanderings that his father was living a double life and had fathered a bastard child

How did Chris get across the Teklanika River?

- due to the time of year and lack of significant snow-melt, he waded across

Initially, no one knew the identity of the body they found in the bus. How did they determine it was Chris?

- eventually, Wayne Weterberg heard about the story and contacted the authorities with Chris's social security number - put them in touch with Sam McCandless, Walt's eldest child from his first marriage

Describe the adventures of the following "dreamy half-cocked greenhorns": Gene Rosellini, Mayor of Hippie Cove

- genius who attempted an anthropological experiment in which he simulated living during different prehistoric eras - learned that it is not possible for humans to live off the land - he killed himself

Describe the adventures of the following "dreamy half-cocked greenhorns": John Mallon Waterman

- had several harrowing Alaskan adventures and eventually lost his mind - disappeared trying to climb Denali

What was Stuckey's impression of McCandless?

- he assumed Chris was a typical hitchhiker, but then realized he was smart, interesting, and intelligent

Why does Krakauer believe the above theory is less plausible?

- he doesn't believe Chris would've made such a blunder, he hadn't shown any signs of not knowing the difference between the two plants and had purposely steered clear of poisonous plants according to the botany book he was referencing

What difficulties did Chris initially encounter?

- he had difficulty killing game and had to deal with being snowed in, weak, and starving

How did Chris get to Alaska?

- he hitchhiked his way up the George Parks Highway

What did Liske notice about Chris's journal?

- he noticed that it was all about food, what he killed and ate for sustenance

What does Ron offer to do for Chris?

- he offers to adopt him

After being thwarted by the river, what did Chris do?

- he returned to the bus and resumed his primitive existence

What did he decide to do after this first setback?

- he returned to the bus to resume his existence

How did the hitchhiker introduce himself? Why do you think he used a pseudonym?

- he said Alex, just Alex - used a pseudonym because he doesn't want to be known or discovered

What did Chris tell Gallien his plan was? How did his plans change?

- he told Gallien he intended on remaining on the move and continue walking west - he must've decided to make the bus his home

What was McCandless's prime mistake in trying to live off the land?

- he tried to live entirely off the country, but lacked the requisite skills to do so

Why did the author return the site of Chris's death?

- he wanted to gain insight on what drew Chris to this location to understand more about his death

What connections does the author see in himself and McCandless?

- he was a raw youth who mistook passion for insight and acted according to gap-ridden logic - he was affected by the skewed relationship with his father - he had a similar heedlessness, a similar agitation of the soul - he suffered from hubris, but wasn't suicidal - he was stirred by the dark mystery of mortality

What is the author glad for that he had previously been annoyed by the thought of?

- he was happy to have company with him, after realizing how remote and lonely the stampede trail seemed

What was Chris's first pivotal setback?

- he was unable to cross the Teklanika, the same river he waded across four months earlier

How did she react when she first heard the news?

- her eyes blurred, she felt the onset of tunnel vision and began to scream - curled up in the fetal position on the couch and wailed without pause, hysterical for five hours

React to the entry on page 195:

- it is sad - Chris is excited to reach 100 days in the wild, but is near death and has "literally become trapped in the wild."

React to Chris's declaration of independence:

- it is somewhat overly-dramatic, yet has a tone of exultation - he seems ready for the challenge of living alone in the wilderness

React to Chris's writing in the middle of page 169:

- it seems an indication that he was ready to abandon his solitary existence

What feeling do you get as the author scans the empty bus?

- it's an eerie feeling of looking into the soul of someone who has untimely passed

The three men note how hard it is to do what?

- live off the land

Who did Krakauer receive a letter from and why?

- man named Ronald Franz who knew Chris and had heard about his death - contacted Krakauer to get more information about the circumstances of Chris's death

What did many letters say was the one identifying mark of Chris's incompetence? What did Krakauer discover to counteract this?

- many thought Chris couldn't tell the difference between a moose and a caribou - Krakauer discovered that the animal Chris killed was indeed a moose

How did Walt & Billie react to Chris's death?

- miss him terribly - are heart-broken and can't understand why a child would do this to his parents

What is a "rubber tramp"?

- nomadic drifter who gets around with "wheels" - opposed to a "leather tramp" who gets around by foot

What did Gallien notice about this hitchhiker's preparedness for the Alaskan wilderness initially and then after their drive together?

- noticed he didn't have much for an extended stay in the bush, but he seemed smart enough and had some survival skills

Where did Gallien drop McCandless off?

- on the Stampede trail, as far as Gallien could drive his truck without getting stuck

Describe the postcards Chris sent on April 27, 1992:

- postcards were ominous, describing the chances he was taking and mentioning that the adventure might prove fatal

What was the general public's reaction to news of Chris's death?

- public assumed he was mentally disturbed and many negative responses came from Alaskans, who remarked that Chris was incompetent

Describe what happened to Billie on the night of July 1992:

- she awoke from sleep because she thought she heard Chris calling for her, saying, "Mom! Help Me!" but there was nothing she could do

How does Carine feel 10 months after Chris's death?

- she still grieves deeply for her brother and can't get through a day without crying

What is one theory of Chris's death? Why is this theory flawed?

- that he ate potato seeds and was poisoned - the theory is flawed because he would've had to ingest thousands of said seeds to become ill

Describe the bus on page 10 &11. Where is it located and what does it look like?

- the bus is just outside the National Park boundary - it's a derelict vehicle with cracked windows and badly oxidized paint

What is the second theory behind Chris's death? What does Chris himself blame?

- the second theory is that he confused one plant with another and was poisoned - Chris says, "fault of pot. seed"

What could've saved Chris if he had had a map?

- there were several cabins nearby

Which of Chris's acts "really scared" his parents?

- they found out he gave away his college fund of 25K to charity

Chris is described as puzzling, complex, and paradoxical. Why?

- was a mix of personalities - could be intensely private and convivial and gregarious - was socially conscience and an incorrigible ham - believed that wealth was inherently evil, but was a natural-born capitalist

How does Chris feel about his parents?

- was a rift between Chris and his father - father had moral shortcomings - his parents' lifestyle was hypocritical

Describe the adventures of the following "dreamy half-cocked greenhorns": Carl McCunn

- was flown to a remote cabin and forgot to tell someone to pick him up - one day a plane flew overhead and spotted him, but he didn't signal correctly, so the plane never returned - he killed himself

What does Chris have in common with the aforementioned individuals?

- was rash and foolhardy, but he wasn't incompetent - was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with nature - displayed a staggering paucity of common sense

What trip did Chris take in the spring of 1989?

- went to Alaska for the first time

Describe five similarities between Ruess and McCandless:

- were both were smart and creative - had difficult relationships with their fathers - took many solo adventures - adopted a pseudonym - embarked on terminal odysseys

Describe Chris's relationship with Carine:

- were very close and supported each other during the tough times in the McCandless home

What "frightened" Borah?

- when Chris was crying before he left, that gave her a bad feeling

Who fell in love with Chris? Why does he rebuff her advances?

- young girl named Tracy falls for Chris - he rejects her because she is too young and he is too focused on getting to Alaska

What was ironic about the Geophysical Institute?

- Chris's father had visited Fairbanks to see through the operation of a satellite dish on top of the Institute

Describe Chris's experience working at the local McDonald's:

- Chris was a slow worker who didn't like wearing socks and had bad personal hygiene - coworkers thought he was strange

What was Chris like in high school?

- Chris was more concerned with the disinherited than partying - one Friday night, he handed out food to the homeless

Describe the "Slabs". Who does Chris meet up with again? How does he help them?

- "slabs" are an abandoned military base popular with hippies and snowbirds that can live rent free - Chris meets up with Jan and Bob at the slabs where he helps them sell used paperbacks at their stand

Jim Gallien describes a hitchhiker. What does he say he looks like?

- 18 or 19 year old with a wiry build who seemed friendly enough

Gallien insisted that hitchhiker take a few of his things. How did that interaction play out? What was the date of this entire incident?

- Alex insisted he didn't need anything, but took Gallien's boots anyway - date was April 28, 1992

Why does Krakauer surmise Chris enjoys staying in Bullhead? What does Chris himself say about life in Bullhead?

- Chris could relate to the itinerant lumpen community - says it's a good place to spend the winter and he might stay there for a while

After Chris left Ron, how did they meet up again?

- Chris couldn't find work and was thrown in jail for riding the rails - called Ron to ask for a ride

Describe Chris's canoeing adventure on the Colorado River:

- Chris ended up in irrigation canals and dead zones and at one point was almost carried out to sea

Describe Krakauer's analysis of Chris's sexual appetite:

- Chris had a couple of girlfriends, but Krakauer noticed his sexual innocence, likening it to that of a celibate monk - appetite was focused elsewhere, like on his adventures

In pages 19 - 23 we learn more about Chris's past. Describe what his life was like prior to his Alaskan tragedy: What were his parents like? What kind of student was he? What were his exact words before left for the summer?

- Chris had wealthy parents and a traditional suburban upbringing - dad was a rocket scientist - Chris was a good student but was disaffected with society and rejected material things - last words were, "I think I'm going to disappear for a while."

What advice does Chris give Ron in his letter to him? How does Ron react?

- Chris insisted that Ron give up his sedentary lifestyle and travel the country in an RV - Ron took Chris's advice to heart and set up camp on the bajada where Chris previously stayed

Describe Chris's state of mind at the end of Chapter 4:

- Chris is living his life to the fullest and his spirit is soaring

What is the only slice of Chris's life that he reveals to Jan? How does she find this information out?

- Chris is rooting for the Washington Redskins, when Jan notices, he admits he is from the D.C. area

How did the author know exactly what Chris was doing if he was travelling alone? Describe his journey so far:

- Chris left pictures and a diary filled with terse, enigmatic entries - traversed the continental United States from Arizona California and up and down the Pacific Coast

What was Chris like at college?

- Chris started out college clean-cut with perfect grades - was a good student, but on the fringe - as years passed, he grew more intense and withdrawn - by his senior year he had almost completely dropped away from everyone he knew and cared for him

Where did Chris go after he graduated from high school?

- Chris took a solo road trip to California, almost died in the Mojave Desert

How does Wayne characterize Chris?

- Chris was a great kid but kind of a space cadet, there were gaps in his thinking