Into The Wild Analysis
Wilkinson 1
Alyssa Wilkinson
Mr. Mackey
AP English Language and Composition
8 January 2015
Into the Wild
Into the Wild exhibits a multitude of personalities depicted by Chris McCandless. The book, portrays a perspective of the journey taken to Alaska by a young man who left his family without a trace of his whereabouts. Throughout his trek, Chris, later as he changed his name,
Alex, met many people whose lives he changed. Each person he met, he stayed in contact with through letters or visiting face to face with. Unfortunately, his fate ended when he passed while staying in the bus in Alaska. All in all, within the plethora of personas, he illustrates resemblance of myself and Henry David Thoreau. In contrast, he counteracts the lyrics of “Mad …show more content…
World” written by Gary Jules.
Jon Krakauer, in
Into the Wild
, portrays Chris McCandless’ determination with reaching his goals, which similarly connects to my nevergivingup attitude. Setting goals and having a passion to achieve such goals creates character that can not be known any other way.
Westerberg compliments Chris, “He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. Didn’t matter what it was… And he never quit in the middle of something” (Krakauer 18). Chris, known as Alex to
Westerberg, always kept his mind on his end goal of hiking to Alaska into the wilderness and never gave up, even when things got tough. Similarly, my parents always taught me to never give up and follow any dream, no matter how highly standard or crazy it may be, because the outcome can be life changing. Ever since I was little I always dreamed of playing softball in
Wilkinson 2
college and eventually end up on TV, as well as wanting to be an accountant for a small business. Right now, I am in the midst of my dream, working for the last goal. For softball, I play on varsity in high school as a junior. While for school I take 4 AP classes, along with an accounting course. Combining my involvement in softball and school, with a very high probability, I will encounter an opportunity for college in my near future. Fully, Chris
McCandless and I share a similar passion for following our dream, no matter the circumstances.
Secondly, McCandless portrays similar qualities as Henry David Thoreau with hatred for higher authority. In Thoreau 's essay,
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
, criticizes the government 's power over the citizens and how they unlawfully use that to their advantage.
Into
the Wild describes Alex of having ideas like that. Throughout many pieces of work Thoreau uses his knowledge to express his opinion against what he believes to be wrong, like, "I was not designed to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest"
(Thoreau). To be clear, Thoreau speaks to the government because he disagrees with how they force others to do things. Correspondingly, Alex does not appreciate the government because he feels no matter what he says they will disagree with him and lock him up since his actions look suspicious. Krakauer writes,“McCandless could endeavor to explain that he answered to statutes of a higher order that as a latterday adherent of Henry David Thoreau, he took as gospel the essay
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience and thus considered it his moral responsibility to flout the laws of the state” (Krakauer 28). Here, Krakauer explains Alex 's view point and why he feels the government or any authority will allow him to keep moving without any arrest. As a whole, McCandless and Thoreau share multiple qualities, but most apparent, their hatred for the government. Wilkinson 3
Lastly, Chris’ decision to leave his family contrasts the song “Mad World”, by Gary
Jules. To explain, Chris vacates his family and moves on with his life to become a better self, while “Mad World’s” lyrics hope for that result, but the people in society instead conform, and eventually end up killing themselves because of the torture they received from only staying in one place and not moving on. The first verse of Mad World goes as followed: All around me are familiar faces Worn out places, worn out faces Bright and early for the daily races Going nowhere, going nowhere.
(14)
Gary Jules explains explicitly how everyone wants to succeed but downgrades that fact with explaining how nobody does anything about it. Opposingly, Chris makes the decision to drop everything and leave his family for finding what he believes in. Krakauer explains
McCandless’ ordeal discussing how“[i]mmediately after graduating, with honors, from Emory
University in the summer of 1990, McCandless dropped out of sight. He changed his name, gave the entire balance of twentyfourthousanddollar savings account to charity abandoned his car, and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet. And then he invented a new life for himself, taking up residence at the ragged margin of our society, wandering across …show more content…
North
America in search of raw, transcendent experience” (Krakauer Author’s Note).
Chris realized he would benefit from leaving his materialistic life because all he felt he needed, nature could offer to him with peace, which came to the conclusion of him also removing all past things from his life. In short, Chris McCandless is the complete opposite of what the song Mad World describes when saying nobody takes initiative and erases a life of horror.
Wilkinson 4
In conclusion, Alex illuminated high goals like myself, showed hatred for government similar to Henry David Thoreau, and contrasted the ideas of the song “Mad World”. As a young boy, Alex learned from his parents to dream big and believe in yourself, which he made into a reality when hiking north. In addition, Henry David Thoreau influences Alex highly with his thoughts against a higher authority and simplicity of nature’s surroundings. Finally, Gary Jules’ song exhibits a world where everyone only knows to conform, while Alex explores a new world in order to encounter his true peace. In summary,
Into the Wild illustrates a mind returning to its own simplicity in life with mother nature.
Wilkinson 5
Works Cited
Jules, Gary. “Mad World.”
Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets. 7 January 2015
<http://www.azlyrics.com>.
Krakauer, Jon.
Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1996. Print.
Thoreau, Henry David.
Walden and “Civil Disobedience”. New York: Signet,1980. Print.
Alyssa Wilkinson
Mr. Mackey
AP English Language and Composition
8 January 2015
Into the Wild
Into the Wild exhibits a multitude of personalities depicted by Chris McCandless. The book, portrays a perspective of the journey taken to Alaska by a young man who left his family without a trace of his whereabouts. Throughout his trek, Chris, later as he changed his name,
Alex, met many people whose lives he changed. Each person he met, he stayed in contact with through letters or visiting face to face with. Unfortunately, his fate ended when he passed while staying in the bus in Alaska. All in all, within the plethora of personas, he illustrates resemblance of myself and Henry David Thoreau. In contrast, he counteracts the lyrics of “Mad …show more content…
World” written by Gary Jules.
Jon Krakauer, in
Into the Wild
, portrays Chris McCandless’ determination with reaching his goals, which similarly connects to my nevergivingup attitude. Setting goals and having a passion to achieve such goals creates character that can not be known any other way.
Westerberg compliments Chris, “He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. Didn’t matter what it was… And he never quit in the middle of something” (Krakauer 18). Chris, known as Alex to
Westerberg, always kept his mind on his end goal of hiking to Alaska into the wilderness and never gave up, even when things got tough. Similarly, my parents always taught me to never give up and follow any dream, no matter how highly standard or crazy it may be, because the outcome can be life changing. Ever since I was little I always dreamed of playing softball in
Wilkinson 2
college and eventually end up on TV, as well as wanting to be an accountant for a small business. Right now, I am in the midst of my dream, working for the last goal. For softball, I play on varsity in high school as a junior. While for school I take 4 AP classes, along with an accounting course. Combining my involvement in softball and school, with a very high probability, I will encounter an opportunity for college in my near future. Fully, Chris
McCandless and I share a similar passion for following our dream, no matter the circumstances.
Secondly, McCandless portrays similar qualities as Henry David Thoreau with hatred for higher authority. In Thoreau 's essay,
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
, criticizes the government 's power over the citizens and how they unlawfully use that to their advantage.
Into
the Wild describes Alex of having ideas like that. Throughout many pieces of work Thoreau uses his knowledge to express his opinion against what he believes to be wrong, like, "I was not designed to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest"
(Thoreau). To be clear, Thoreau speaks to the government because he disagrees with how they force others to do things. Correspondingly, Alex does not appreciate the government because he feels no matter what he says they will disagree with him and lock him up since his actions look suspicious. Krakauer writes,“McCandless could endeavor to explain that he answered to statutes of a higher order that as a latterday adherent of Henry David Thoreau, he took as gospel the essay
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience and thus considered it his moral responsibility to flout the laws of the state” (Krakauer 28). Here, Krakauer explains Alex 's view point and why he feels the government or any authority will allow him to keep moving without any arrest. As a whole, McCandless and Thoreau share multiple qualities, but most apparent, their hatred for the government. Wilkinson 3
Lastly, Chris’ decision to leave his family contrasts the song “Mad World”, by Gary
Jules. To explain, Chris vacates his family and moves on with his life to become a better self, while “Mad World’s” lyrics hope for that result, but the people in society instead conform, and eventually end up killing themselves because of the torture they received from only staying in one place and not moving on. The first verse of Mad World goes as followed: All around me are familiar faces Worn out places, worn out faces Bright and early for the daily races Going nowhere, going nowhere.
(14)
Gary Jules explains explicitly how everyone wants to succeed but downgrades that fact with explaining how nobody does anything about it. Opposingly, Chris makes the decision to drop everything and leave his family for finding what he believes in. Krakauer explains
McCandless’ ordeal discussing how“[i]mmediately after graduating, with honors, from Emory
University in the summer of 1990, McCandless dropped out of sight. He changed his name, gave the entire balance of twentyfourthousanddollar savings account to charity abandoned his car, and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet. And then he invented a new life for himself, taking up residence at the ragged margin of our society, wandering across …show more content…
North
America in search of raw, transcendent experience” (Krakauer Author’s Note).
Chris realized he would benefit from leaving his materialistic life because all he felt he needed, nature could offer to him with peace, which came to the conclusion of him also removing all past things from his life. In short, Chris McCandless is the complete opposite of what the song Mad World describes when saying nobody takes initiative and erases a life of horror.
Wilkinson 4
In conclusion, Alex illuminated high goals like myself, showed hatred for government similar to Henry David Thoreau, and contrasted the ideas of the song “Mad World”. As a young boy, Alex learned from his parents to dream big and believe in yourself, which he made into a reality when hiking north. In addition, Henry David Thoreau influences Alex highly with his thoughts against a higher authority and simplicity of nature’s surroundings. Finally, Gary Jules’ song exhibits a world where everyone only knows to conform, while Alex explores a new world in order to encounter his true peace. In summary,
Into the Wild illustrates a mind returning to its own simplicity in life with mother nature.
Wilkinson 5
Works Cited
Jules, Gary. “Mad World.”
Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets. 7 January 2015
<http://www.azlyrics.com>.
Krakauer, Jon.
Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1996. Print.
Thoreau, Henry David.
Walden and “Civil Disobedience”. New York: Signet,1980. Print.