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Into The Wild

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75 pages • 2 hours read

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Many Alaskans feel that McCandless brought death upon himself due to his own ignorance. After reading Into the Wild , do you agree with them?

McCandless refused gifts of food and advice throughout his travels. Why do you think he did this?

After graduating college, McCandless cut off all contact with his parents. Do you think he was justified in doing so? Or was this unnecessary for his freedom?

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Into the Wild

Jon krakauer.

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When the body of a young male hiker is discovered in Alaska’s Denali National Park, Outside magazine assigns journalist Jon Krakauer to cover the story. The young man turns out to be the runaway son of a well-to-do East Coast family, Christopher (Chris) McCandless , who after graduating from Emory University in May 1990, gave away his savings to charity, abandoned his car, burned all his cash , and hitchhiked across the country “to live off the land” in the Alaskan wilderness.

Five months earlier, on April 28, 1992, Jim Gallien , driving on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska, spots a young hitchhiker and offers him a ride. The young man is Christopher McCandless, but he introduces himself as “ Alex ” and says that he intends to “live off the land for a few months” in Denali National Park. Gallien, noticing that Chris’s backpack is far too light to be carrying enough supplies for an extended camping trip, tries to dissuade from hiking alone into the woods. But Chris refuses Gallien’s advice, so Gallien insists that the young man take his lunch and boots with him. Chris reluctantly accepts these gifts and walks onto the snowy Stampede Trail . Gallien figures that the boy will reemerge out of the forest when he becomes hungry .

Later that year, in September, a trio of moose hunters, a couple from Anchorage and an ATV driver, happen upon an abandoned bus in Denali National Park, where they discover Chris’ decomposing body. Alaska State troopers recover the corpse, taking it to a crime lab, which determines the cause of death to be starvation.

Two months after the discovery of McCandless’ body, Krakauer interviews grain elevator operator Wayne Westerberg , who recounts the day he picked up Chris, (going by “Alex” at the time), on his way back to Carthage, South Dakota. Chris works so hard on Westerberg’s grain elevator crew that Wayne offers him a job. Yet Wayne is arrested for stealing satellite TV codes, forcing Chris to hit the road in search of work.

Going back to October 1990, McCandless’ yellow Datsun is found abandoned in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Through his research, Krakauer figures out that after a flash flood dampened the Datsun’s engine, Chris abandoned the malfunctioning car to conceal his predicament from his parents and the authorities.

Chris then hitchhikes throughout the west. Along the way, he camps with drifters Jan Burres and her boyfriend Bob , flips burgers at McDonald’s in Bullhead City, canoes the Colorado River to Mexico, and befriends eighty-one-year-old Ronald Franz .

On March 14, 1992, Chris returns to Carthage to work for Wayne Westerberg, but leaves at the end of the month, having gathered just enough money and supplies to pursue his dream of living out in the Alaskan wilderness.

Hitchhiking north, Chris arrives in Alaska on April 18, 1992 and crosses the Teklanika River onto the Stampede Trail ten days later. Off the Sushana River, Chris discovers an abandoned city bus, where he makes camp. Throughout the summer, Chris hunts and forages, eventually shooting down a moose . Butchering the moose’s messy carcass to preserve its meat fills Chris with regret, but through reading, journaling and self-reflection, McCandless comes to terms with his kill and decides to return to civilization.

However, the thawing summer floodwaters of the Teklanika River prevent Chris from crossing, so he returns to the bus to regroup.

On July 30, Chris frantically writes in his journal that he is very weak and in grave danger, but also mentions potato seeds . Too weak to hunt or gather, McCandless dies soon thereafter, having spent his last days discovering that the greatest happinesses in life must be shared with others.

Investigating the potato seeds further, Krakauer theorizes that McCandless died of swainsonine poisoning after consuming wild potato seeds laced with a toxic mold.

Having solved the mystery of McCandless’s death, Krakauer accompanies Chris’ parents’, Walt and Billie , to pay their respects at the bus where Chris died. Though comforted by the surrounding landscape’s beauty, Walt and Billie leave still nursing heavy hearts.

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Into the Wild Essays

Jim casy and chris mccandless: transcendentalism gone wrong jim casy and chris mccandless: transcendentalism gone wrong 12th grade, into the wild.

The philosophy of transcendentalism has played a major role in shaping American literature for the last 150 years. At its core, transcendentalism is a set of principles designed to guide a person to happiness through their relationships with God,...

The Many Mistakes of Chris McCandless Anonymous 10th Grade

You can hear the waves crash against the shore less than fifty feet from you. Your prized car, the one that you’ve loved for years now, is stuck in the sand, unable to move. All of the money you didn't donate to charity, preventing malnutrition in...

Fatherly Influence in Into the Wild Anonymous 10th Grade

"Each day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge...

Feeding by Starvation Olivia Kelliher 11th Grade

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is an interpretation of one devoted man's unwavering hunger for meaning in the world. In 1990, 24-year-old Emory graduate Christopher McCandless leaves society to venture into the wilderness with a goal of reaching...

An Unconventional Genre: Evaluating John Krakauer as a Biographer Anonymous 11th Grade

Within the contents of a variety of different biographies, there are multiple similarities between the conventions that are typically used. However, there are also multiple differences between them in their features that set these works apart from...

Exploration of Manifest Destiny In John Krakauer's Into the Wild Anonymous 11th Grade

Even from the humble beginnings of modern Western society, the wilderness has gripped the collective imagination of Americans. Through Manifest Destiny and, more recently, expansion into the American Northwest, modern minds have been captured by...

Two-Faced Transcendentalists Anonymous 12th Grade

The transparent eyeball is a philosophical metaphor introduced by Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The transparent eyeball represents an eye that serves only to be observant rather than reflective. Therefore it teaches us to take in all...

Krakauer's Successful Tribute to McCandless: Balancing Fiction and Non-Fiction in Literary Journalism Taylor L. Schiewe College

Journalists, and authors of investigative literature, often struggle to keep their writing 100 percent truthful when researching cases with few leads and vague details. Writers tend to teetertotter on the edge of the truth in order to leave...

Nice Try: Lost Nuance in Sean Penn's Adaptation of 'Into the Wild' Jack David Garceau 11th Grade

Timothy Treadwell, best known as the subject for Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, shunned society and left it behind, subsequently falling victim to his own convictions out in the wilderness. Treadwell, an American bear enthusiast, was mauled after 13...

Into the Wild: Unusual Ideas of Happiness Are Just As Real Pramika Kadari 9th Grade

Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne graduated from respectable colleges and began leading stables lives, working steady jobs in areas they enjoyed. Then, one day, after saying to themselves ‘We have to stop thinking about what other people...

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Into The Wild — A Rhetorical Analysis Of Into the Wild

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A Rhetorical Analysis of into The Wild

  • Categories: Chris Mccandless Into The Wild Jon Krakauer

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Published: Apr 29, 2022

Words: 887 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

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Rhetorical analysis of used literary devices in "into the wild", adding the lens of pathos to let the reader connect with the characters, works cited.

  • Carrington, D. (2007). Christopher McCandless and the allure of the wilderness. The Harvard Review of Latin America, 7(2), 12-15.
  • Drescher, L. (2008). Back to the wild: The photograph as evidence in the search for the real Christopher McCandless. MFS Modern Fiction Studies, 54(2), 323-350.
  • Everett, S. (2008). "It's all about the journey": Nature, narrative, and gender in Into the Wild. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 49(3), 291-302.
  • Graf, R. (2010). Into the Wild: The spiritual quest of Christopher McCandless. Literature and Theology, 24(2), 141-155.
  • Haugen, R. K. (2019). Wild truths: The myth of Christopher McCandless and the contested landscapes of the American West. Western American Literature, 54(3), 337-368.
  • Krakauer, J. (1996). Into the Wild. Anchor Books.
  • McAllister, K. (2016). Into the Wild and the rhetoric of literary journalism. American Literary History, 28(3), 475-496.
  • McCandless, C. (1990). Carine McCandless interviews. Krakauer, Jon. Retrieved from http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/04/magic-happens-sometimes.html
  • Moore, M. J. (2009). Crossing the wild river: The mythical geography of Into the Wild. Western American Literature, 44(4), 397-425.
  • Taylor, J. M. (2003). Nature as God: The spiritual journey of Christopher McCandless. BYU Studies Quarterly, 42(2), 81-102.

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Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a captivating story that follows the journey of Chris McCandless, a young man who decides to abandon his conventional life and embark on a solo adventure into the Alaskan wilderness. Through his [...]

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Into The Wild by LaMarche Essay

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Introduction

The quest for lonely life, works cited.

It has been noted that “everything that happens to us-graduations, marriage, childbirth, divorce, getting or losing job affects us” (Adulthood 1). It is not right for one to live lonely, but sometimes circumstances may cause one to love this kind of a life. The strange action must have some driving forces behind it that may lead a young person to choose a lone life.

How can one choose to live alone or decide to live with animals in the wild? This essay will discuss the book, In the Wild with emphasis on a young man, McCandless and how he went to Alaskan Odyssey as a result of crises during transition from childhood to adulthood; so as to separate himself from his family.

McCandless’s life is bothered by his parent’s materialistic nature choices and this made him to move out of the home and becomes an itinerant. He lived in the wild where he hunted wildlife such as porcupines and birds for food. He roasted them but sometimes the meat spoiled because of poor methods of meat preservation. In this wild life, he sometimes failed to capture the animals for his meal and was provided by strangers. Unfortunately, he finally died in a bus because of starvation despite the efforts he made to get some assistance.

Christopher McCandless was a man who never liked people to be close to himself. He valued independence. He went to the extreme of being self reliant. He thought that people could not always depend on others but should have time to be alone so that they could discover their own will and thoughts. Christopher McCandless left his home to live on his own; something that not many people could appreciate. It has been felt that the quest for self awareness is something that the modern society is doing away with:

Some of the values that many people in modern society seem to have forgotten are; the quest for personal knowledge, the pursuit of individual happiness while not taking it from others, and above all, the ability to be comfortable in solitude and independence. (LaMarche 1)

McCandless believed in himself and did not want to imitate those around him or conform to their ways of life. He had a strong urge to do things his own way and the wild was the site to pursue his goals and vision. In addition to changing his environment, McCandless changed his name to Alexander Superstramp. This was significant as it symbolized a new person, leaving his former ways of living and stepping into a new way of life characterized by new work and even new meals.

His actions were criticized by many people because he never wanted any associations that would bind him close to other people. LaMarche did this to experiment and at the same time seek his independence. As a young man he did not enjoy the company of his family and kept to himself as he sought what he had considered as important to him: “…it was important for him to see how independent he could be” (LaMarche1)

To the greatest extent, it was his family especially his parents that made him to seek a new way of life which he embraced and considered worthwhile. The parent’s failure to teach and advise him on values of life made a major contribution to his adopting of a new way of life. His fathers’ relationship with his mother was the greatest question factor that pushed him to adapt to his new way of life.

He was disappointed with his father’s action due to his way of thinking that people are supposed to be perfect and that their actions were always supposed to be right. McCandless’ greatest problem was the inability to forgive and communicate accordingly with his parents. He did not have color grey in his world: “Christopher McCandless saw the world in black and white, good and bad, right and wrong, rather like a child does” (LaMarche 1).

McCandless believed that solitary life was rewarding to him. This was a similar case with Sarton who argued that, “Alone one is never lonely: the spirit adventures, walking / in a quiet garden, in a cool house, abiding single there” (Sarton 1). To this young man, what mattered most were his happiness and not other people’s opinions (LaMarche 1)

A person’s life at any given time involves both external and internal aspects. The external system is composed of our membership in the culture: our job, “social class and family and social roles” (Predictable 1); the argument is how a person is able to live to the fullest when he is able to balance all these aspects in his life. Many people often ignore their inner being which is the most crucial. McCandless was not able to share his inner feelings:

Chris was strongly opposed to any kind of unnecessary material procession. He wrote a letter to his sister before he took off to Alaska, complaining about his parents. I can’t believe they’d try and buy me a car. (LaMarche 1)

The young man reasons that there was no need to have luxuries and that one should concentrate only on what they needed. He had a negative attitude towards the wealth of his parents: “Chris is embarrassed by his family’s modest wealth, believing that wealth was shameful, corrupting, and inherently evil” (LaMarche 1).

The young man thought that wealth was an unreasonable way of valuing people and that it did not reveal the real person. McCandless wanted a simple life in the wild where he was ready to face many challenges. His main aim was to be himself. In a person’s development there are various changes that occur:

One is the interior sense of relation to others. A second is the proportion of safeness to danger we feel in our lives. A third is our perception of time-do we have plenty of it, or are we beginning to feel that time is running out? Last, there will be some shift at the gut leveling our sense of aliveness or stagnation. These are the hazy sensations that compose the background tone of living and shape the decisions on which to take action (Adulthood 1).

This is true because it was after McCandless thought deeply about his life that he took off from his home to the wilderness. He compared the wealth of his parent with those of other people in his area and did not appreciate it. He was not able to express himself and reveal his thoughts even to those close to him.

He went to the extent of writing to his sister a letter; it was his sister that he was free to his thoughts with. The wealth of the parents displeased him and in addition he had issues with his father having another wife before meeting his mother.

In school Chris shared with few students but he gradually reduced interactions to be completely independent in class work and athletics. To him he needed freedom from people and luxurious wealth.

Krakauer connects Chris with Gene Rosellini, a well-educated man from an affluent family who was interested to know if it was possible to be independent of modern technology. (LarMache2010).

It is clear that MaCcandless did not feel safe at his home. Since he believed in perfection he felt that his parents had betrayed his values and was not ready to forgive them. He believed that the wealth of his parents was not justly acquired and there was no way he could be ready to accept it: “McCandless distrusted the value of things that came easily” (LaMarche 2010).

He therefore wanted to acquire everything justly. Unfortunately it reached a time when this man could not handle it any longer. He was ready to take even a risky route so as to escape from the sight of his parents. Aware that the decision he was about to make would put his life in danger; he did not stop it but went ahead to the wilderness.

His parents attempted to buy him a new vehicle but he looked down upon it, since he felt that it was unnecessary for him to have a second car whereas he had another functional datsun car. This is ironical that the people that he should have loved most are the ones he put at a bay and did all he could to separate himself from his family.

This coincides with the argument by Sarton: “Loneliness is most acutely felt with other people, for with others, even with a lover sometimes, we suffer from our differences of taste, temperament, and mood” (Sarton 1).

It is also clear that McCandless realized that he could not change anything and time was running out. He felt a stagnation that was brought by being at home. A new environment was therefore a better place for change that would give him satisfaction in his life. The feeling of stagnation was erased from his mind once he set off for the wilderness.

No man is an island and no one can be able to live alone and successful. The company of people mostly spices a person’s life. The young man finally perishes in the wilderness as there is no one to rescue him. His remains were found about a week later after his death weighing about 30 kilograms.

The young man only punished himself: “the fierce idealism and searing self-reliance are seen as unattainable qualities that are mysterious and wonderful, but frightening and dangerous all the same” (LaMarche 1). Though McCandless achieved his self reliability, it was unsustainable.

The inner person should never be ignored and personal world should be in order. The beliefs in McCandless’s heart were the driving forces to his actions. McCandless’s life was ruined by his parents since they did not play part to concentrate on his personality development as he grew up. They gauged his happiness by how much materials they bought for him, good education and spirituality, ignoring his inner motivation.

Adulthood. Predictable Crises of adulthood . Gail Sheehy, n.d. Web.

LaMarche. Into The Wild . Christophermccandless, 2010. Web.

Sarton, May. The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life . Gregory, n.d. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, October 12). Into The Wild by LaMarche. https://ivypanda.com/essays/into-the-wild/

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IvyPanda . 2018. "Into The Wild by LaMarche." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/into-the-wild/.

1. IvyPanda . "Into The Wild by LaMarche." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/into-the-wild/.

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Book Lovers Day 2024: Staff Recommendations

This post was guest authored by Leslie Boydstun , Course Reserves Library Specialist

For as long as I can remember, my favorite thing to talk about has been books. I love to find out what people are reading, why they love the genres and writers they love, and what sparked their love of reading in the first place. For a time, I parlayed this compulsion into a career as an English teacher. It brought me such joy to expose my students to authors and genres they wouldn’t normally approach and to see them connect with those texts. However, when I began working at USF, that desire to encourage people to read had nowhere to go until I began working on our monthly book displays.  

I try to make sure that the display each month is fresh, topical, and contains a variety of media from our collections. I trawl articles & journals (and pick the minds of my colleagues) for ideas about which specific books & movies should be included. Sometimes, my colleagues have excellent recommendations that simply don’t fit into any of the display themes. Thus, the “Staff Favorites” display was born.   

In April 2024, I sent out a survey to my colleagues at all USF Libraries locations and collected a list of some of their favorite books and movies. If you are looking for something new to read or watch, I hope that this list may provide some inspiration. Take a look, the choices may surprise you!  

Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham  

Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert

“This is a fast and easy read, but it also has some meat to it. Written in 1957, the book has some really interesting themes about what being human means, and it has some sociological implications about how the women reacted–and were treated–in this situation (given the time period it was written) and why.”  

Bucking the Tiger: A novel by Bruce Olds  

Recommended by LeEtta Schmidt

“It uses poetry, reconstituted news reports, and embellishment to fill in the historical gaps at the same time as contributing to the myth-making of a legend of the ‘wild west.’”  

The Dance of Genghis Cohn by Romain Gary  

“It uses humor, fiction, and satire to examine the post WWII relationship between a former SS officer and the Jewish man he killed.”  

Christie Classics: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, The Witness for the Prosecution, Philomel Cottage [and] Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie  

Recommended by Matthew Schubert

“Agatha Christie is an absolute master of mystery! This collection of five stories includes my favorite “And Then There Were None”. Will keep you guessing until the very end!”  

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys  

Recommended by Ann Abney

“I love a good historical novel and this one is a great thriller set in 1989 at the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu’s Romania. Romania had a strong informer network so it’s a lot of “Who do I trust?” for simple things like sharing a Coke behind a building. I raced through it and it remains my favorite of Ruta Sepetys’ writing.”  

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister  

Recommended by Virginia Gates-Fowler

“I spend the majority of my time reading children’s books to my cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. The book has a beautiful cover and an interesting, meaningful story (about sharing). I read this book so many times to my kids when they were little. They enjoyed it tremendously. I can’t think of any adult book right now that interests me. But I can check out this book and share it with the kids in my family.  YAY!”  

Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey  

Recommended by Sarah Swiger  

“The incredible account of Dian Fossey’s scientific study of mountain gorillas. If there’s any book that will get you excited about the natural world, conservation, and one of our closest living relatives, it’s this one.”  

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien  

Recommended by Leslie Boydstun  

“A classic example of high fantasy and the hero’s journey. This is the book that broke open the fantasy genre for me. It is timeless, engaging, and this particular version (F T649h 1977) has illustrations from the 1977 animated movie which are really fun.”  

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh  

Recommended by Rebekah Nault  

“I read and reread this book every year of my childhood. I loved it. I wanted to be a spy.”  

The Conduct of Life, Nature, & Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson  

“My favorite English teacher had us study Emerson my freshman year of high school. I fell in love with him and would refer back to his book of essays often throughout high school and young adulthood.”  

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma  

Recommended by Emily Norton  

“I love each of the short stories in this collection, partly because of how weird and unnerving they are. Just when you think you’re reading about a familiar situation or setting, Ma subverts your expectations and assumptions with her surreal and subversive narratives.”  

Heir to the Empire (Star Wars) by Timothy Zahn  

Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert  

“I don’t know if this storyline still falls into “new canon” for Star Wars, but this was the first appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the most interesting characters on the Empire’s side. Zahn is a fantastic author; I’ve read all of his Star Wars novels, and they never fail to impress (and many of his other works explore Thrawn’s history and exploits).”  

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien  

“This book is a series of short stories about the Vietnam War that blur the lines between reality and fiction. It is heartbreaking and hopeful, horrifying and hilarious. O’Brien will make you fall in love with the men (boys) of Alpha Company, and then use their experiences to hold a mirror up to the some of the darkest parts of human nature. I would highly recommend this book, but maybe keep a box of tissues nearby.”  

The Information: A history, a theory, a flood by James Gleick  

Recommended by Andrew Beman Cavallaro  

“The work illustrates the dynamic and impactful history of humanity’s conceptual understanding, and deployment, of information.  [A] epistemological, technical, and sociological approach to the nature of information.”  

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood  

Recommended by Tina Pierson  

“This book does not leave you feeling happy and joyful or even a fun read. However, it is very relevant in today’s’ society.”  

The Making of Robert E. Lee by Michael Fellman  

Recommended by Aaron Lewis  

“I first read this book while a PhD student in the USF History Department. It does a fantastic job using primary sources to argue for a new look at one of the United States’ most misunderstood generals. Fellman does an excellent job using Lee’s letters, diaries, and other primary sources to show that Lee is a much more complicated historical figure than has typically been portrayed, far from the angelic, southern gentleman that has characterized him since the end of the Civil War. It was one of the inspirations for my dissertation which also sought to re-examine Lee’s memory throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.”  

Introduction to the study of dinosaurs by Anthony J. Martin  

Recommended by Loryn Ragsdale  

“All things dino!”  

Paper Towns by John Green  

Recommended by Serena Davis   

“I love and appreciate John Green as a writer and enjoy the books he has written. He was a popular author during the time I was growing up.”  

Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom  

Recommended by Susan Ariew   

“Yalom is a wonderful author who gives a great deal of insight into humanity. His specialty is helping patients who are dying and he does help a great deal with death anxiety and figuring out how to make one’s life meaningful. His novels are also delightful, combining psychology with philosophy and how those impact human struggles.”  

The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds  

Recommended by Donna Kahelin  

“The stark reality of human imperfection through the eyes of an innocent girl coming of age and understanding as her world rapidly collapses and expands simultaneously.”  

No Language but a Cry by Bert Kruger Smith  

Recommended by Beverlyn Harris-Johnson  

“emotional, heartbreaking”  

The Once and Future King by T.H. White  

Recommended by Kasey Coton  

“This is a classic retelling of the famous Arthurian legend, with lively and fascinating characterizations of Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, and Guinevere. The story goes from lighthearted and humorous to quite tragic in the end, but it is such a fun read throughout and I really recommend it.”  

The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald  

Recommended by Terry Eagan  

“Often described as haunting, Sebald’s quasi-travelogue centers on a journey through East-Anglia and meditations on themes of loss, destruction and interconnectedness. Sebald weaves together personal anecdotes, historical events and philosophical musings to reflect on the inexorable passage of time.”  

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck  

Recommended by Natalie Kazmin  

“John Steinbeck is my favorite author, and Cannery Row is one of the first books I read of his — it’s a fun, short romp driven by compelling and always interpersonal characters and, like many of his works, is firmly rooted in their sense of place. I like keeping a book like this in my back pocket for beaches or particularly slow baseball games.”  

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy  

Recommended by Shawn Douglas  

“ No Country for Old Men is a fantastic novel that is violent and very bleak, but also is a study of the philosophical reflections of humanity. I love this book because it’s more of a thematic journey than it is a plot-driven journey, which is interesting and makes you really think!”  

As You Like It by William Shakespeare  

Recommended by Draper Harris  

“At the beginning of every April, Rosalind’s perennial words spring to mind: “Men are April when they woo, and December when they marry” (4.1.154). She reminds me of what the fourth month of the year really is. April is warm and pleasant. April is budding. April is romantic. April is (…maybe she knew…) our birth month – the Bard and I – that is. Perhaps even maybe she knew somehow this April is the opening of As You Like It in USF Theatre 2. …maybe not. But, nevertheless, April is just like reading As You Like It. It is the perfect chance to escape from the constraints of the mundane and find inspiration amidst the wonder of nature – just as I like it.”  

1,000 Signs of Life: Basic ASL for everyday conversation edited by Gallaudet University Press

Recommended by Marie Camacho-Vargas  

“ 😊 .” [Marie is a student in the sign language interpreting program and strongly believes that everyone should have a basic understanding of ASL]  

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The last straw by Jeff Kinney  

Recommended by Jason Jimenez  

“It is part of a great series. In addition to that there are some movies on it but not as good as the books. Recommend for anyone looking for a casual read.”  

Secondhand Lions (2003) directed by Tim McCanlies  

“This is a sweet, hilarious story about a boy and his two great-uncles who don’t even know how much they need each other at first. I laugh, I cry, and I thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it. One of my favorite scenes is actually in the deleted scenes when he catches one of his uncles filling out mail responses.”  

Bedazzled (2000) directed by Harold Ramis  

“Have you ever wanted to be the perfect person for your crush? Brendan Frazer’s character makes a deal with the devil and gets that chance–several times–always with a bit of a twist. This is a fun, light-hearted movie, with a small twist at the end for a happy ever after.”  

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) directed by Dean DeBlois, books by Cressida Cowell  

Recommended by Courtney Lofgren  

“It’s one of my happy movies that I have watched for years. It has sarcasm and jokes, and it just brings me joy.”  

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) directed by Guillermo Del Toro  

Recommended by Zibby Wilder  

“EVERYTHING: The beauty, the ugliness, the hope, the despair, the reality, the mysticism, the brutality, and the transcendence. It breaks your heart and brings you joy at the same time. It’s an incredible work of art.”  

Rear Window (1954) directed by Alfred Hitchcock  

Recommended by Jessica Szempruch  

“‘Rear Window’ is a noted cinematography classic, with a thriller storyline that will grip even viewers who are not typically into classic films. Grace Kelly (Princess Grace of Monaco!) and Jimmy Stewart are magical together on screen. If you’re new to Alfred Hitchcock’s work, this is a great place to start.”  

The Dark Crystal (1982) directed by Jim Henson  

“A glimpse into the wonder and whimsy of Jim Henderson’s brilliant brain. This tale of balance, healing, and growth follows heroes and villains as they journey to bring peace and light to a dark world.”  

The Matrix (1999) directed by the Wachowski siblings  

Recommended by Andre Holmes  

“The MATRIX is one of my favorite movies, I’ve re-watched it countless times. It influenced the visuals and action sequences of so many action flicks that followed it. Beyond the cool outfits, techno soundtrack and wire-fu fight scenes, it’s the storyline for me. I initially enjoyed seeing “the hero’s journey” but appreciated the deeper themes after repeated viewings.  But just the first one!”  

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  6. Into the Wild (Book) Essay

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COMMENTS

  1. "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer: [Essay Example], 1606 words

    Essay grade: Good. Read Review. Jon Krakauer wrote a biography, Into The Wild (1996), describing a man's, Chris McCandless, life before and during his journey to Alaska to be able to discover himself and a new life while leaving his family with worry and pain. Jon Krakauer has demonstrated Chris's relationship with his family, like his ...

  2. Into The Wild Essays

    1 page / 580 words. Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer, is a captivating non-fiction book that chronicles the life and ultimate demise of Christopher McCandless. McCandless, a young man in his early twenties, leaves behind his comfortable life to embark on a journey into the Alaskan wilderness.

  3. Into The Wild Jon Krakauer Analysis: [Essay Example], 760 words

    Published: Mar 5, 2024. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a captivating story that follows the journey of Chris McCandless, a young man who decides to abandon his conventional life and embark on a solo adventure into the Alaskan wilderness. Through his exploration of McCandless's motivations, actions, and ultimate demise, Krakauer delves into ...

  4. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

    Extreme weather and challenging conditions are the perfect backgrounds for exploring people's psyche. In his famous book Into the Wild, Krakauer studies a story of "a well-educated young man with an above-average intellect and remarkable spiritual ambitions" (Vera, 2015, p. 43). The book explores many topics, such as difficulties in ...

  5. "Into the Wild" Study Guide: Krakauer's Masterpiece Unveiled

    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 22 by Taylor Swift. 38. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) 8½ (1963) Back to top. Explore the depths of Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" with our comprehensive study guide. Dive into character analyses, themes, and literary devices that define this unforgettable journey. 📚 .

  6. Into the Wild: Critical Essays

    The title of a book by the 19th-century Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, Fathers and Sons, this is one of the main themes of Into the Wild. If there is a single turning point in the life of Christopher McCandless, it may be the discovery that his father had a second, secret family. This revelation seems to inspire him to reject his parents ...

  7. Into the Wild Study Guide

    Into the Wild was the result of this research, and was published in 1996. The book, in trying to discover what exactly led McCandless to his mysterious end, and what happened once he was alone, also discusses Krakauer's own history, and the stories of many other famous or infamous figures who met their ends in the wilderness.

  8. Into the Wild Critical Essays

    According to Into the Wild, Chris McCandless died because of his own misconception of himself. In the Greek tragic model, a chorus typically served many purposes, one of which was to try to warn ...

  9. Into The Wild Essay Topics

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

  10. Into the Wild: Characters, Themes, Personal Opinion Essay

    Into the Wild, a non-fiction book written by Jon Krakauer narrates a story of such a man named McCandless who quit civilized living and started his wild journey across America. This paper will summarize the plot of the work, describe its characters, and discuss the issues raised by the author. Get a custom essay on Into the Wild: Characters ...

  11. The Movie "Into the Wild"

    The book "Into The Wild" written by a famous American writer and journalist Jon Krakauer and first published in 1996 has addressed the theme of the real sense of life including the meaning of success, the value of money, and the concept of happiness based on an itinerant traveler's, Christopher McCandless, real life example.

  12. Into the Wild Essay Questions

    Into the Wild literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Into the Wild study guide contains a biography of author Jon Krakauer, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

  13. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Plot Summary

    Into the Wild Summary. When the body of a young male hiker is discovered in Alaska's Denali National Park, Outside magazine assigns journalist Jon Krakauer to cover the story. The young man turns out to be the runaway son of a well-to-do East Coast family, Christopher (Chris) McCandless, who after graduating from Emory University in May 1990 ...

  14. Into the Wild Essays

    Into the Wild. Timothy Treadwell, best known as the subject for Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man, shunned society and left it behind, subsequently falling victim to his own convictions out in the wilderness. Treadwell, an American bear enthusiast, was mauled after 13... Into the Wild literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers ...

  15. PDF Into the Wild Essay Topics

    In a well-organized essay, take a position on the relationship between certainty and doubt. Support your argument with references to Into the Wild, (book or film) as well as other appropriate evidence and examples from your readings (videos shown in class), observations and experience. Explain where Phelps and Russell's view fit in with your own.

  16. A Rhetorical Analysis of into The Wild

    The story of Chris McCandless has captivated the American audience for years. Though it is unknown what exactly occurred during his trip to Alaska, there is much speculation. In the search for evidence to determine the events that occurred during his journey, Jon Krakauer developed a compelling theory in his book, "Into the Wild".

  17. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Essay

    Chris McCandless was just a victim of his own obsession. The novel "Into The Wild" written by John Krakauer revealed the life of a young bright man named Chris McCandless who turned up dead in Alaska in summer 1992. In the novel, John Krakauer approached carefully McCandless's life without putting too much authorial judgment to the readers.

  18. How to Start Writing a Law School Application Essay

    If it helps, leave a placeholder and start in the body of the essay, where the story truly takes off and you get to the things you most want to say. READ: 7 Deciding Factors in Law School Admissions

  19. An Olympics Scene Draws Scorn. Did It Really Parody 'The Last Supper

    He broke into a song as, behind him, the drag queens danced. The tableaux drew condemnation among people who saw the images as a parody of "The Last Supper," the New Testament scene depicted ...

  20. Into The Wild by LaMarche

    Introduction. It has been noted that "everything that happens to us-graduations, marriage, childbirth, divorce, getting or losing job affects us" (Adulthood 1). It is not right for one to live lonely, but sometimes circumstances may cause one to love this kind of a life. ... This essay, "Into The Wild by LaMarche" is published exclusively ...

  21. Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose New Deal created many of them, endorsed a proposal in 1937 to fold them all into cabinet departments under his control, but Congress did not enact it.

  22. Harris and Walz Make Their National Debut at Philadelphia Rally

    As the vice president introduced her new running mate at an energetic rally in Philadelphia, he quickly demonstrated his ability to deliver searing attacks against Donald Trump and JD Vance.

  23. USF Libraries

    BOOKS. Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham . Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert "This is a fast and easy read, but it also has some meat to it. Written in 1957, the book has some really interesting themes about what being human means, and it has some sociological implications about how the women reacted-and were treated-in this situation (given the time period it was written) and why."