Into the Wild – 21st Century Romanticism Honors English 11 / Meyer

Pre-Reading Journal Prompt What expectations do you and/or others have for your life? What is your response to these expectations? Do you resent them or do you enjoy them? Why?

Into the Wild – About the Author Jon Krakauer was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1954. His family moved to Corvallis, Oregon, when he was two. When he was eight years old, his father took him to (unsuccessfully) climb Oregon's ten-thousand-foot South Sister, sparking Krakauer's lifelong obsession with mountaineering. Krakauer received a degree in environmental studies from Hampshire College and worked as a carpenter and a commercial fisherman to support his climbing. In 1983, he quit his job to focus on writing.

About Into the Wild - In 1992, a party of moose hunters found the decomposing body of a young man in the Alaskan wilderness. Outside magazine asked Krakauer to write about this young man, Chris McCandless, a bright idealist from Washington, D.C. Many readers thought McCandless was a reckless fool; others sympathized with his spiritual quest. Krakauer saw a lot of himself in McCandless. A year after the article was published, Krakauer couldn't get McCandless out of his mind and decided to write Into the Wild, Krakauer's first bestseller.

Food for Thought - McCandless is a young, idealistic guy who forms a life philosophy based on his experience and his reading in college. His idealism, ironically, leads to his death by starvation. He makes choices that seem foolish as we look at them now. However, McCandless genuinely loved the outdoors and wanted to live in the world without all the trappings of money and his middle-class upbringing. Into the Wild is, in a way, a mystery story. We’re unsure as to why he rejects his family, why he’s so angry with them, and why he chooses to head for Alaska. As you read, try to uncover who McCandless is, why he did what he did, how Krakauer idolizes McCandless, and why society is still enraptured by McCandless’ story.

Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, and Theodore Parker. Stimulated by English and German Romanticism, the transcendentalists operated with the sense that a new era was at hand.

Transcendentalism Continued They were critics of their contemporary society for its unthinking conformity, and urged that each individual find, in Emerson's words, “an original relation to the universe.” Emerson and Thoreau sought this relation in solitude amidst nature, and in their writing. By the 1840s they, along with other transcendentalists, were engaged in the social experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden; and, by the 1850's in an increasingly urgent critique of American slavery.

Beliefs - In order to understand the reality of God, the universe, the self, one must transcend (or go beyond) human experience in the physical world Anti-materialistic, anti-civilization, anti-conformist Optimistic outlook on life (only you have the power to change your own life) “I unsettle all things. No facts are to me sacred; none are profane; I simply experiment, an endless seeker, with no past at my back.” - Thoreau Through intuition, people know that God is good, and God works through nature. Therefore, even the most tragic natural disasters can be explained on a spiritual level. - Emerson “Bad” results from a disconnect with God and nature

Transcendentalism with McCandless Transcendentalists adherence to an idealistic system of thought based on a belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of man, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience for the revelation of the deepest truths. As you read, you will have to consider how McCandless embodies transcendentalism.

Reading Pitfalls At this point in your education, you need to actively read and engage with the text. This means: Use sticky notes to mark important moments within the novel Define vocabulary for understanding Keep track of the narration  this is a non-linear text Krakauer will supplement McCandless’ story with his own life experiments and compare McCandless to other wilderness explorers/enthusiasts. Consider why he does this. Keep up with the reading guide! Ask questions in class. Take notes.

Novels + Assignments I will distribute novels at this time. When called, please give me both the accession number and the marker number. As I am gathering this information, read the author’s note. Decide the following: What do you think Krakauer means when he states “I won’t claim to be an impartial biographer”? What reason does Krakauer offer for writing this book? I will discuss the novel assignments after we have distributed novels.