Just Mine Now

Point of view of several family members is found in this chapter along with that of several of the people McCandless went to high school with who also shed some light on his life. Walt McCandless is here. Try speculating answers to the question he poses at the end of the first paragraph in page 104: "'How is it. . .that a kid with so much compassion could cause his parents so much pain'" (104)? Speculate also as to why so much specific detail about Walt McCandless is given. Is it necessary? Krakauer's purpose? Note that Walt McCandless also said of his son: "We were always trying to pull him back from the edge" (109). The connections of Billie's father to Chris? List as bullet points. Why is this important to know to understand Chris McCandless? What about the effect of their (Christopher and Carine) parents working all the time? The point of view of former classmates: Gordy Cucullu - Think about whether Chris did "push [himself] in...

Here is a link to a complete article mentioned in chapter 10: "Dying in the Wild, A Hiker Recorded the Terror" Unfortunately some of the other sources mentioned in the text have not been located. The Washington Post has an archive; perhaps this can be found through the digital library at the Los Angeles Public Library. The Paul Harvey broadcast doesn't seem to be available nor does the article that Jim Gallien read in the Anchorage Daily News . However, a couple articles still available at the Anchorage Daily News shed more light on what others thought about McCandless. You might want to check out these two articles: McCandless: Hero or dumb jerk? Theories differ on the cause of McCandless' death Another source, a book by W. L. Rusho, Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty , originally published in 1973, might include some helpful information that may further enlighten us more in terms of the comparison of Ruess and McCandless. It'll be rereleased in September.

Do you think that information about the Irish monks is a necessary inclusion at the end of chapter 9? Or do you think it is superfluous? Explain. Instead, should Krakauer have ended the chapter with Everett Ruess on page 96? Explain.

More is given about Ruess in this chapter, the 2nd quote used to open chapter 9 and the excerpt within the chapter from Stegner's opinions about Ruess. Again, you will have to look at both in your copy of the text. Compare and contrast what is said about Ruess with what you know about McCandless so far. Be sure to include evidence from these quotes in your response. Note what Krakauer's connections on pages 92 and 93. Also think about why Krakauer may have devoted almost an entire chapter to Everett Ruess. What do you think his purpose is here?

To give you a better understanding of who John Muir was, you might want to click on this link to learn a little more about him so that you can understand why his name is mentioned in Into the Wild. Then reflect on what you learn, and make the connections.

If you are completing a close reading of Into the Wild , and are reading this blog over the summer, you might want to respond to the questions posed here in the blog instead of responding to the written assignment you were given before the end of school. The purpose of these posts is to get you thinking about what you're reading. So, whichever you're most comfortable with handling at this point is okay. You might choose to do a little of both. It's all up to you.

I'm speaking of those by Everett Ruess (from the last letter sent to his brother), and Wallace Stegner on Everett Ruess. You'll have to read them in your copy of the book. How are they similar to what you envision to be the character of Christopher McCandless?