ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Into The Wild

862 Words4 Pages

Hand in Hand
“I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.” (Leo Tolstoy’s “Family Happiness”). Jon Krakauer's story influences the way we perceive Chris. The manner in which it was written was ingenous. Jon leads us away from liking Chris, but then slowly without realizing it, we start sympathizing with him. At the end of the book, we find ourselves at a crossroads of, do we actually feel sorry for Chris, as if he were a brother or sister; someone who meant something to us, or are we just being the kind hearted soul we were brought up to be?
In the book, Into the Wild, author Jon Krakauer claims that Chris McCandless is misunderstood. People weren’t able to empathize with his choices. Krakauer establishes this notion by inputting his own story and comparing himself to Chris. Peter Christian’s Criticism of McCandless is a provocative essay stating that Chris is a whack job, his story is completely pointless and not worth the time it takes to read. Peter Christian is right when he states, “There was nothing heroic or even mysterious about what Chris …show more content…

We can only think that this is how Chris felt when he “walked into the wild” (Krakauer 69). Instead of the nonsense of everyday life, Jon let himself focus on one goal: survival. Both Chris and Jon packed up and left a comfortable life to seek adventure just beyond their reach. They both had issues with their fathers. The difference between their stories is that Jon returned to his life, whereas Chris lost his. “He never understood that the Devil’s Thumb was the same as medical school, only different” (Krakauer 150). On this journey, Jon realized that his father wasn’t just being hard on him so he could also become a doctor, but rather achieve success at his own

Show More
Related

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Into The Wild

    920 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis of Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild ” Jon Krakauer ’s purpose in writing Into the Wild is to recount Chris McCandless’ journey, physical and metaphysical, from college in Georgia to his death in Alaska, through the use of factual, and anecdotal evidence. Krakauer uses factual evidence to establish that he is a trustworthy narrator capable of giving the reader a realistic scope on the events in the story. Jon uses anecdotal evidence to see into Chris’ psyche from the various perspectives found in the book’s excerpts, including how Jon understands the events.

    Read More

  • Chris Mccandless In Jon Krakauer's Personal Opinion

    271 Words  | 2 Pages

    Here is a quote from the book in which Krakauer demonstrates his personal opinion of McCandless and uses his own personal past actions he made as a young man to help show the connection between his younger self and Chris and why he has these opinions about Chris. This quote shows that Krakauer believes based on his own experience that Chris did not want to die and was not on a suicide mission. Along with this opinion proven throughout the book through observations and personal experiences Krakauer continues to be a presence and incorporates other opinions and factual things to disprove the people who are against McCandless and prove what he thinks is right. He disproves the thought that Chris might have been on a suicide mission. He disproves

    Read More

  • Into The Wild Compare And Contrast

    324 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jon Krakauer has a high amount of respect for Christopher J. McCandless; not only because they have many similarities, but because McCandless searched deep for the meaning of life and did as he pleased. In the book, “Into The Wild,” Krakauer not only tells the story of McCandless, but also of his own life, and how he has been shaped into his own. Krakauer had a deep love for the wild, just as Chris did. Though, the two did not do the same things, they both pursued their passions which made it easier for Krakauer to relate to Chris. Once climbing a mountain, Krakauer had ran into trouble, just as Chris did on his journey.

    Read More

  • Chris Mccandless: A Reckless Idiot

    849 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chris McCandless: A Reckless Idiot Chris McCandless was a reckless idiot and there is no denying that basic truth. Chris McCandless was a man born into a middle class family. Chris had parents that loved him, a roof over his head, and food to eat. Despite all those riches he had, he threw them away. Chris was a very selfish man.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

    629 Words  | 3 Pages

    Krakauer completes gaps in Chris’ story; but loses objectivity as he intertwines Chris’ experiences and emotions with his own. Though Krakauer’s details about Chris provide insight, his emotional involvement in Chris’ life becomes an

    Read More

  • Last Child In The Woods Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    812 Words  | 4 Pages

    Richard Louv, a novelist, in Last Child in the Woods (2008) illustrates the separation between humans and nature. His purpose to the general audience involves exposing how the separation of man from nature is consequential. Louv adopts a sentimental tone throughout the rhetorical piece to elaborate on the growing separation in modern times. Louv utilizes pathos, ethos and logos to argue that the separation between man and nature is detrimental.

    Read More

  • Is Chris Mccandless Crazy?

    1216 Words  | 5 Pages

    "I think that Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant at the same time. He had no common sense, and he had no business going to Alaska with his Romantic silliness. He made a lot of mistakes based on ignorance. I don’t admire him at all for his courage nor his noble ideas. Really, I think he was just plain crazy."

    Read More

  • Ethos In Into The Wild

    806 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chris was struck by disaster multiple times, and that resulted in heartbreaking notes detailing how he felt. Krakauer includes these notes because it makes the audience feel bad for Chris. For example, when the river floods and Chris is trapped, he wrote “‘Disaster…rained in. River look impossible. Lonely, scared’”

    Read More

  • Into The Wild Relationships

    637 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chris had a huge impact on everyone he knew, but he would not let them influence him or his decisions at all. He rebelled against his family because his father was too controlling. Later on, when any of his companions told him not to go to Alaska, or tried telling him to do anything that he did not want to, he would totally ignore them, and change the subject. As Krakauer writes in chapter 6, “McCandless…relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. He had fled the claustrophobic confines of his family.

    Read More

  • Chris Mccandless In Jon Krakauer's 'Into The Wild'

    986 Words  | 4 Pages

    He went into the wilderness to experience adventure and to find things he was searching for; nature, the path to happiness and freedom. Chris’ determination, self will, pursuit of happiness and the urge to break free are all explored. He did everything he could, so people wouldn’t be able to find him. Changing his name to Alex Supertramp, eliminating everything he had, and only taking things that he needs. Jon Krakauer's “Into the Wild” is an excellent book about how McCandless traveled to Alaska, and how he conquered his dreams.

    Read More

  • Who Is Krakauer's Argument In Chapter 8

    568 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout chapters 8 and 9, the author showed his bias towards Chris McCandless, which is an act of defiance to his position as an objective journalist, when he attempted to alter the readers’ negative point of view towards Chris by the introduction of different people who had similar experiences and characteristics as him and then making comparison. After reading the previous chapters, the readers have already made their own judgement on Chris, which are probably mostly negative. To address this issue, Krakauer initiates chapter 8 by introducing negative comments and mails not only about Chris but also to him, the author. These will serve as an argument that he will later attempt to disprove while at the same time, still informing the readers about what makes Chris special and unique.

    Read More

  • Krakauer's Portrayal Of Chris In The Wild

    500 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite Krakauer 's honorable attempts to portray Chris as someone who is relatable and should be pitied, Chris is portrayed as careless and inconsiderate. Krakauer 's biased diction end up showing Chris as stupid and egotistical. In the beginning Krakauer starts off make Chris a relatable person however after the first few pages Krakauer turns Chris into a superficial rich entitled person who thought he was able to do anything without repercussion. There are many instances where Krakauer reveals Chris as such. Chris may have been innocent in his ideals but that was his mistake, “For most of the sixteen-week ordeal…McCandless more than held his own.

    Read More

  • Chris Mccandless Flaws In Into The Wild

    987 Words  | 4 Pages

    We have all made mistakes, for some they are small mistakes that do not impact anyone. For others, they are of mammoth proportions and have a preponderant impact on how people think, or say about them. In the book Into the Wild it tells about the journey of Chris McCandless who died in the Alaskan wilderness. Chris McCandless was definitely one of these people who made a big mistake. People around the globe have mixed feelings about this twentieth century adventurer.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Shaun Callarman's 'Into The Wild'

    871 Words  | 4 Pages

    He made a lot of mistakes based on arrogance. I don’t admire him at all for his courage nor his noble ideas. Really, I think he was just plain crazy,” shows that Shaun believes Chris had no common sense in his doing for leaving society for the wild. I agree with Callarman’s position of thinking “ he had no common sense” and that he was “bright and Ignorant” because Chris thinks he did not have much to offer in his society, ditched all his possessions to take a trip into the Alaskan Wilderness and did not have much common sense or survival skills. Chris McCandless was very courageous for ditching all his possessions to take a trip in the wilderness.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Jon Krakauer's 'Into The Wild'

    2137 Words  | 9 Pages

    As each chapter come’s there is an account from Chris’ diary to accompany it. Along with this is some type of quote/ inspirational passage which lets us in on what is to come in the chapter ahead. Krakauer is able to maintain this structure throughout the whole book and through this we are able to pick apart the journey of Chris McCandless to construct our own opinions about his mysterious persona. The structure Krakauer creates for us in Into the Wild is significant to our understanding of Chris and his journey as it sheds insight onto his life from many different

    Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Into The Wild

Open Document