In April 1992 a young man from a well-to- do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions...and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter...

Brainstorm: The Allure of Running Away What are some of the reasons why people run away? List some of the advantages…

Brainstorm: The Downside of Running Away What are some of affects of running away? List some disadvantages…

Into The Wild The Story Behind the Story 1993: Author/journalist, Jon Krakauer publishes article, “Death of an Innocent,” in Outside Magazine about the life and death of Chris McCandless.

Into The Wild The Story Behind the Story After tremendous reader response from “Death of an Innocent,” Krakauer conducted more research and wrote the best-selling non-fiction book, Into The Wild (1996), which further details Chris’s life and journey.

Don’t recognize Jon Krakauer? Here are some of his other famous books:

Into The Wild The Story Behind the Story In 2007, Academy Award winning director, Sean Penn, along with Jon Krakauer, made the film Into the Wild based on the book.

A little math problem for you: How many years between Krakauer writing the book, and Penn making the film? Answer: Why do you think it took so long? Answer:

Chris McCandless, background info. Born in California, attended high school in Virginia (captain of cross-country team) 1990 graduate from Emory University in Atlanta (History/Anthropology). Accepted to Harvard Law School. His upper middle-class background and academic success were drivers for his contempt of what he saw as empty materialism of society. After graduation (May 1990) he donated all of his money ($24,000) to charity (Oxfam) and began his 2- year odyssey.

Some childhood photos

The Trip (2-year odyssey) went under the pseudonym, “Alexander Supertramp” His family hired P.I. to find him, but Chris was determined to remain “lost” from family. He took pride in surviving with minimal gear, funds, and little preparation. He was sometimes fed/aided by those he met on his travels. hitchhiked through Arizona, California, down Colorado river to Gulf of California (Mexico), South Dakota and eventually to his final destination.... ALASKA (1992)!

Alaskan Odyssey (April - Aug. 1992) His Goal: To live for a while in complete solitude in the Alaskan wilderness. He was heavily influenced by the following authors, and even carried some of their books with him during his travels. 1. Henry David Thoreau 2. Jack London 3. Leo Tolstoy His journal contains entries of 112 days in Alaska.

There’s a saying that goes something like this: “Nothing shows a man’s character more than what he laughs at.” Well, the same can be said for what he READS.

Influence Henry David Thoreau - Transcendentalism 1. Live life to the fullest! 2. Be an individual! 3. Don’t be materialistic! 4. Simplicity! (Nature is sacred) 5. Society corrupts our inherent goodness.

Influence Jack London : survival - return to primitivism - believed that humans prevail when we rely on our animal-like instincts, rather than intelligence or reason

Influence Leo Tolstoy Extremely moralistic Ascetic life (simple way of living, practicing self-denial) Non-violence

Alaskan Odyssey (April - Aug. 1992) Alaskan Local, Jim Gallien, gave him a ride from Fairbanks to the head of the Stampede Trail. He was very concerned about “Alex’s” minimal supplies and lack of experience surviving in the Alaskan wild. Chris refused assistance except for a pair of rubber boots and minimal food. He found an abandoned bus used as a hunting shelter (near Denali National Park) His body was found by hunters approx. a week after his death. Controversial life and death is still debated today.

Actor Real Chris

Undeveloped photos found in his camera (pre-selfie era )

Actual sign he left (notice the difference) Film: Sign found outside the bus by moose hunters