Answer either question A or B:
Question A:
In Into the Wild John Krakauer opens the book with Alexander/Chris' entrance into the Stampede Trail followed by a chapter on finding Alexander/Chris' body. Why does Krakauer open the books with these scenes? How do these scenes introduce us to Alexander/Chris and what do they tell us, the reader, about him?
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I would like to start by saying how much I am enjoying the book. It reminds me of some of my friends back home; especially those that backpacked around Alaska this summer.
Having seen the movie first I was surprised that the second chapter entailed the finding of Alex's dead body. Before seeing the movie I didn't know anything about the story, except someone told me the lead character dies. Even with this information, and the obvious lead up to his death, his death was like a slap in the face. Having it at the beginning of the book made it much easier to except, and I may be bias because I saw the movie first and had to accept his death, but the book, thus far, is less emotional. I don't believe it is any less intriguing.
I believe the main reason Krakauer opens this way is explained in the author's note. He says, "My convictions should be apparent soon enough, but I will leave it to the reader to form his or her own opinion of Chris McCandless" (III). It then goes into how Alex views life and that in the end, his views bring him death. I think it was the perfect opener in order to achieve his goal. It opened my eyes to what alex thinks, what happens to him and now as I read about his voyage it is easier for me to form an opinion. It really leaves the reader open to taking it all in and not becoming as emotionally involved because you already understand the outcome.
The author’s note explains Jon Krakauer’s purpose in writing Into The Wild. It seems he would like to share the story of his research of Chris McCandless’s life with the world. It is not only intriguing, but his life comes to a fatal end.
I think Jon Krakauer places the death of Chris McCandless in one of the opening chapters of the book to grab the reader’s attention. The story is more about the life the Chris McCandless lived, and the adventure he has taken. This also kind of warns the reader that the story does not end happily. The author also uses his death to explain what happened, much in the way the story was presented to the author. The author states, “The result of this meandering inquiry is the book now before you,” (Krakauer, author’s note). The author explains that he in a way became obsessed with the death of Chris McCandless and the events of his life. The book is left for the reader to judge Chris, so therefore he presents the information much like he was presented with the information. I like this chapter in the opening of the book. I have not viewed the movie, but I prefer to know now that he has passed on. I can now take a greater interest in his life then in the outcome of his actions.
I think John Krakauer opens the book with Alex’s entrance into the Stampede Trail so that we can get a glimpse about how he interacts with people and how determined he is to get to the trail. The next chapter describes how people found his body which lets the reader know that Alex died during his adventure. By placing these two chapters together, we see Alex as this person who could survive and truly believes he can compared with the aftermath of his death and the fact that despite how prepared he thought he was there were some things he could not control. But also by telling the reader that Alex died, the rest of the story will play out more like clues to why he died, rather then simply reading through his story and having him die after. Things that we read about Alex may reflect how he came to his fate and why he would decide to go live alone in the wild. Thus Krakauer is setting the reader up almost like a detective, as if he is saying: here is the dead body, now read on and figure out or try to understand why this may have happened. The first chapter allows us to get a sense of who Alex if from the description of his ride with Gallien and their conversation. Alex is well educated, polite, but also very strong in his views. The main thing I noticed is his extraordinary ability to attract people to him because Gallien picked him up even though he had a gun and seemed to start caring for Alex’s wellbeing despite the fact that he only knew him for several hours. These two first chapters really set the reader up for the rest of the story and give us something to speculate about as we read on.
Krakauer opens the book with Chris walking in to the Stampede trail because this was the last time anyone ever saw Chris McCandless and then follows up that chapter with the finding of his body by the authorities. I think that Krakauer does this because the story of Chris McCandless was a mystery for a while and his travels are not a linear line. In the author's note, Krakauer writes "i spent more than a year retracing the convoluted path that led to his death in the Alaska taiga, chasing down details of his peregrinations with an interest that bordered on obsession. In trying to understand McCandless, i inevitably came to reflect on other, larger subjects as well: the grip wilderness has on the American imagination, the allure high risk activities hold for ypung men of a certain mind, the complicated, highly charged bond that exists between fathers and sons" (Krakauer 2). I think that the begginning of the book is a way to set up this story of a mysterious young man who disappeared and died. But in this way as well, Krakauer allows us to make up our own mind on McCandless and his way of life even though that the ending is already known.
These chapters reveal Chris as an adventurer. They show him as a loner who risked his life in order to experience nature one on one. The author probably opened the book up in this manner (revealing his enterence into the trail, and then his dead body being found) in for many reasons. First of all, to create suspense, and keep the reader intrigued. Secondly, to show to what ends Chris McCanless devoted himself to nature, and lastly, as a comment on his experience that shows that his death was a minimal part of the story, and that there is still a lot more worth learning about his epic adventure.
These chapters leave us with a solid idea of who Chris McCandless was and what he believed. We are given a clear image of his brazen independence and fierce personality. He is confident to the point of arrogance, and it shows through his interaction with the trucker giving him a ride in the beginning. He scoffs when the man asks if he has a hunting license. Chris is strong-willed, and the proceeding image of his death and decomposing body leave the reader wondering if his own pigheaded nature led to his demise.
I have read this book several times before, so it is difficult for me to play Monday morning quarterback and examine what kind of impressions a new reader of the novel might gain. However, I admire Chris's ferocity and intellect. He got out into the world and lived his ideals, which is more than your average Eckerd student can claim.
This book reminds me of a special on a news channel, where we hear the fate of the character at the beginning and the rest is followed by interviews to lead us up to the death. This is just one way to start a book, and maybe McCandless was interested in giving us the reality of McCandless' state so we would have the rest of the book to help tie into his fate. On a author's behalf, it also builds up the suspense for the rest of the book, having us wonder what could have happened to him to cause his death. Or maybe he is trying to have us understand that there is much more to the difference between life and death...we know what physical life and death is, but are we aware of the multiple dimensions of spiritual living and deceasing? And even after physical death, his spirit, in this book and beyond is inspiring and touching people. I know a friend who ran away from school and hitchhiked to California after he read this book. I also enjoy the passages before each chapter, as if he measured McCandless' life into chapters of progression. Each passage would lead us to another meaning or experience he might encounter in the next chapter.
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