Introduction to Into the Wild English Project

Hey, I'm about to dive into the world of literature with the book Into the Wild. This novel was written by Jon Krakauer. The story is about a boy named Christopher McCandless and his adventures while he was proclaimed missing. Into the Wild was made into the movie a few years ago and basically grasps the theme of the story. However there are some differences between the novel and the movie. Stay tuned, and I'll keep you posted.




Picture from: http://a3.vox.com/6a00c2252c8262549d00fa968ac7fb0002-500pi

Into the Life of Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer was born in 1954 in Corvallis, Oregon. Throughout his childhood Jon was connected to nature and mountaineering. Jon attended Hampshire College, and later worked as a carpenter and commercial salmon fisherman. He continued his love for mountaineering through his adult years. In 1996 he climbed to the top of Mount Everest and nearly lost his life. Krakauer turned this journey and near death experience into a best-selling book, Into Thin Air. Jon kept his writing alive and wrote the novel Into the Wild. He has written several other books, but Into the Wild and Into Thin Air being the most famous. Many of his works were published in Outside, GEO, Architectural Digest, Rolling Stone, TIME, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and National Geographic. In 1999 he received an Academy Award in Literature. Jon Krakauer is still writing today and has many achievements to be proud of.


Information from: http://go-passport.grolier.com/
Picture from: http://www.nytimes.com/

Into Honolulu, Hawaii : The Ultimate Sojourn

Honolulu, Hawaii seems like the ultimate relaxing destination. With its warm beaches, cool waters, and beautiful scenary. I know that's the one place I want to head to. Hawaii is a little far away though so I would have to go by plane, swimming might not be my best option. Honolulu is located on the island Oahu, and is the capital of Hawaii. Some of its many attractions besides beaches of course, include the volcano at Diamond Head, Ala Moana Center (one of the United States' largest shopping malls), Waikiki Aquarium, and much much more. Honolulu is located in a wet and dry tropical zone. This means it is nice and hot. Temperatures there normally range from the low 80s to the upper 90s. With those kind of temperature I'd need to take tons of bathing suits and sunscreen. I wish I really got to take this trip! It would be such an adventure. Honolulu seems so different then where I live. It would be a great change of pace.




Information from: http://www.gohawaii.com/
Picture from: http://www.travelbrook.com

Into the Direct/Indirect Characterization of Chris McCandless

Direct Characterization: author comes out and explicitly tells the readers what the character looks and acts like.
Indirect Characterization: author shows the readers what the character does, says, thinks, and feels, and then lets the readers draw their own conclusions about the character.


Direct Characterization: 

-         - Determined, wants to find more meaning in life, very set on his trip in Alaska

-      - Well educated, exceeded in academics in school

-      - Self-reliant “I won’t run into anything I can’t deal with on my own” (page 6).

-      - Hard working, always showed up at his job at McDonald’s or when he worked for Westerberg “He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen” (page 18). 
     - Excited, couldn't wait to get into the nature of Alaska "He couldn't wait to head out there and get started" (page 6). 
-   - Attentive, "McCandless was especially attentive to Burres, flirting and clowning with her at every opportunity" (page 45).
    - Playful, he always flirted and teased with Jan about her puppies
    -Friendly, always cheery and nice to the people who gave him a chance, "but he looked friendly enough" (pages 3-4).
    -Ethical, he was very moral about his job, "He was what you'd call extremely ethical" (page 18).
    -Dreamy, had wild dreams of going into Alaska, "him and McCandless, at least they tried to follow their dream" (page 96).

      Indirect Characterization: 

       - Elusive “terribly concerned over Chris’s vanishing act, had by the time already contacted the Annandale police, who had been of no help” (page 31).

-      -  Agreeable, easily gets along with the people who help him such as Westerberg or Gallien

-      - Sentimental, always kept in touch with friends he met along the way “send a postcard to   Westerberg” (page 33).

-      - Rebellious, very against the laws of society and the government “How I feed myself is none of the governments’ business” (page 6).

-       - Philosophical, follows Tolstoy’s teachings and ideas as a way of life

-       - Resourceful “he’d been surviving on edible plants he identified from the book” (page 30).

-       - Outdated/ Old-fashioned, doesn’t agree with the ways of the modern world

-       - Considerate, kept in touch with the friends he made along his journey

- Misunderstood, his parents and family didn’t understand how he felt about the world and life
- Independent, liked to take care of himself and roam on his own path "Driving west out of Atlanta, he intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, one in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experience" (pages 22-23).  
- Unattached, didn't let people get super close to him, "He'd successfully kept Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg at arm's length" (page 55).


I am getting the impression that Chris McCandless was an independent soul. He didn't follow the rules of society but he was still a decent person. He cared deeply for those who helped him even if he wasn't very willing to accept their help. He wanted to find a deeper meaning in life and he wasn't going to let anything stop him. He was reaching for a life similar to Tolstoy's. 


Image from: http://www.bobmclean.me/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mccandless.jpg

Into Symbolic Designs and My Leather Belt

If I could put my life story on a leather belt and one another item, that other item would be a wallet or change purse. I would put it on a wallet because I take my wallet almost everywhere I go so everytime I look at it it would remind me of everything I've accomplished so far. The first item I would carve on my leather belt or wallet would be my house. When I was two years old I moved from a house in Bayside to where I live currently. The next carved item would be a bookbag symbolizing my first day of school. The next two symbols would be a soccer ball and then a lacrosse stick. I began playing those sports during my elementary career. My fifth character would be a cruise ship, because while I was in third grade I went on a cruise where I went to places outside of the United States. The sixth symbol on my belt or wallet would be the word scholarship. In seventh grade I got a scholarship for being the student with the highest grade point average. The next element on my belt would be a ballot for when I won the position of school president in eighth grade. The eighth and final symbol on my belt or wallet would be the John Carroll emblem symbolizing the new chapter in my life known as high school. All of these characters and symbols make up what is known as my life's journey to this day.

Picture from: http://paulwilkinson.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/lifes-journey.jpg

Into Google Earth

The trip simulated on Google Earth is in dedication to the journey Chris McCandless took starting sometime in 1990. The Google Earth trip hit some of the major locations along Chris’s journey. With each place, there was a picture and somewhat detailed explanation of why that place was included in the simulation. The replication on Google Earth did not include every spot mentioned in Chris’s voyage but it came close. I learned by looking at this replication just how far McCandless traveled. While reading Into the Wild I realized the different locations Chris was going but seeing an actual picture of where he went is breathtaking. And to think that most of the time Chris was walking to the places he wanted to go unless he hitched a ride with a friendly passerby. Seeing this reproduction really opened my eyes to a new way of viewing Chris McCandless’s trip.


Image from: http://blog.camera.org/archives/google-earth.jpe

Final Assessment Poem

 From Walt McCandless’s point of view:



Father to Son, So it Goes


(1) I never took the time,


(2) To get to know the real you


(3) I was too concerned with me


(4) And everything I wanted you to pursue.


(5) I was into science


(6) But you were into the land


(7) I didn’t understand your defiance


(8) It was like a slap on the hand


(9) You found out my secret


(10) And never let it go


(11) I was never more ashamed


(12) I battled myself to and fro


(13) I was your father


(14) But I completely let you down


(15) I didn’t really bother


(16) To make sure I was around


(17) I know you went away


(18) Partly because of me


(19) But here’s what I have to say


(20) You turned out to be the man I always wished I could be

From Carine McCandless’s point of view:


My Guardian Angel


(1) Right now you can’t be seen


(2) But you can definitely be heard


(3) Your thoughts give off a sheen


(4) That makes me hear your words


(5) Your voice still rings out loud


(6) No matter what I do


(7) I just can’t shake the feeling


(8) I’m right alongside you


(9) It’s a great feeling to know


(10) Your love for me was unending


(11) You had your points of high and low


(12) But are friendship remained unbending


(13) You’re in heaven now


(14) But forever will you be able


(15) To answer my whats and hows


(16) As my guardian angel