DOCSLIB.ORG

Into the Wild Libro Pdf Español

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Into the Wild Libro Pdf Español Into the wild libro pdf español Continue To the Wild Routes John KrakauerGenerous Biography Original English Edition Original title in the wild edition of VillardCompanhia das Letras Ciudad MichiganPais USA Publishing Date 1996 Pages 224Dition translated to spanishTitle K routes Wild Traduced Albert FreixaEditorial Editions BCity BarcelonaPa's SpainPages 285SerieEiger Dreams to Wild RoutesIn thin air (edited by Wikidata data) to wild routes (in its original English version) Into The Wild - book , written by John Krakower in 1995, which in 2007 was adapted into a movie directed by Sean Penn under the original name Into the Wild. Christopher McCandless, a young man from a wealthy family, in 1990, graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, decided to go on a journey without telling anyone about his purpose or his intentions. Two years later he was found dead in an Alaskan interior. His case was reported by Outside journalist John Krakover. The latter, interested in the motives and conditions that Chris experienced, decided to go even further into the story of this young man. To the wild routes, he almost completely tells the facts from the point of view of the last people with whom Chris communicated before entering the wild lands of Alaska, where he eventually found his death. In addition, the author adds excerpts from his life as a lover of nature and mountain life, citing the slight similarities he shares with Chris. At the same time, he is trying to clarify the key factors in the young man's life that led him to decide to follow this last path, completely moving away from his family and any hint of civilization. The structure of the book consists of 18 chapters plus an epilogue. Chapter 1 Chapter Summary: Alaska Interior (I) The author begins the novel by presenting a postcard sent by Alex Wayne Westerberg. April 27, 1992 Memories from Fairbanks! That's the last thing you know about me, Wayne. I've been here two days. The finger-to-finger ride through Yukon territory was difficult, but in the end I got there. Please return my mail to the senders. It could be a long time before I go back south. If this adventure ends badly and you will never hear from me again, I want you to know that I consider you a great man. Now I'm heading to the desert. ALEX Later, the story begins when a few miles from Fairbanks, Jim Gallien spots a young man in his 19th hitchhiking on the highway. Even though the boy was carrying a rifle on his shoulder, it wasn't enough to intimidate Jim, decided to take it. Chris got in the car and went to the driver named Alex. Jim described the young man as follows: He measured the seventy-meter thing and his complexion was rinsed and ribbed. He claimed to be 24 years old and from South Dakota. He explained that he wanted to be taken to the outskirts of Denali National Park and then walked into the woods to live a few months of what he found on the mountain. John Krakauer, To Wild Routes, page 16 Being an experienced hunter and concerned about how worn out Alex is going for such a journey, Jim tried to convince him that he would give up the idea by telling him that there is almost no prey in the region to hunt and that he can meet bears. He also offered to take him to Anchorage, buy him clothes and equipment, return him and leave him where he wanted. However, Alex was too stubborn and seemed to have an ingenious answer to any of the problems Jim had imposed on him, so when he reached his destination he only took some sandwiches made by Jim's wife and some old boots that Jim offered him. Chapter 2: The Way Of Stampede (I) This chapter begins with an inscription that Alex engraved on a piece of wood and then continues with a quote from Jack London's book White Fang. Jack London King Alexander Supertramp, May 1992 After that, continues to describe the Stampede Route. Between the silica ridges of the two outer steep ridges of the Outer Ridge runs from east to west a depression of about eight kilometers, covered with a kenagos amalgam of treedals, thickness of alder and veins of spruce skeletons. Stumpid's path, Chris McCandless's path to wild graves, winding through this rolling labyrinth of valleys. John Krakauer, to the wild routes, page 24 This route was created by a legendary miner named Earl Pilgrim, who opened the way in the 1930s. Later, the construction company Utan received a state contract for its laying to facilitate the route for trucks. However, bridges have not been made by the numerous rivers that cross it, so it is abandoned and only some locals transit it to go hunting. So three hunters set off on the way to the bus abandoned by the construction company, which became a kind of tradition for those who intended to go hunting in the area. After various trips to get to the place, they met a couple who watched the bus in horror. When they approached, they noticed a strong smell of rot and as they looked inside, inside the sleeping bag, there was a corpse. Chapter 3: Carthage (... This third chapter begins with an excerpt highlighted by Alexei from Leo Tolstoy's book Family Happiness. He then continues to present a quote about the nomadic residence of Wallace Stegner's book The American West as a living space. I wanted movement, not a quiet existence. I wanted excitement and danger, and the opportunity to sacrifice myself for love. I felt swollen with so much energy that I couldn't guide it through the quiet life we had. Leon Tolstoy, Family Happiness Story continues two months after Alex's body was found, while Wayne Westerberg is in a single bar in the village of Carthage in South Dakota, remembering the boy and how he met him. In 1990, Wayne saw him hitchhiking and decided to take it. He subsequently gave him accommodation for 3 days, and as soon as the boy resumed his trip, he offered him a job in case he returned through the city. A couple of weeks later, Alex returned and turned out to be a dedicated employee. However, he had to leave when Wayne was sentenced to four months in prison for the crime. From that moment on, Alex started saying he was from South Dakota. It is then explained that Chris was a good student and that when he graduated, he informed his family that he would disappear for a while, a situation his parents and sister interpreted as one of the many trips the young man made on his own. He also said that during his college years, Chris decided to live strictly as a form of preparation for the difficult journey he planned to make. On the other hand, it is also mentioned that Chris was in complete disagreement with his family's lifestyle and felt that after graduation he could finally free himself from this world of material security and well-being. Chapter 4: Detritic Current This Time, the author begins the chapter with a phrase from Paul Shepard's book The Man in the Landscape: A Historic Kind of Aesthetics of Nature. In 1990, guards found an old Datsun abandoned in the middle of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The car belonged to Chris McCandless, who was supposed to leave it there after he decided to jump off the freeway and take his own route. Unfortunately, the storm caused the waterway to go up and his car's engine was completely wet. Weighing the options, Chris decided to drop it and just take with him the most important things, he also decided to burn all the money that he carried with him. These details are known because Chris described them in a notebook, which he used as a diary and photo album. Over the next period of time Chris fed himself mostly wild berries and mobilized hitchhiking, a situation that led him to some people he decided not to lose contact with, including Ian Burres and her boyfriend Bob, the motorized bum who took him in his caravan. It was during this period that he met Wayne Westerberg. On the other hand, his family, concerned about his disappearance, hired a private detective to find him. Then he talks about how Chris managed to get to the Red River, and he decided to continue the canoeing trip to the Gulf of California. During his journey he was lost several times, one of them described it in his diary as follows: Finally! Alex found what appeared to be a Wellteco canal and was moving south. Fears and fears strike him again as he sees the channel narrowing more and more. Locals help him carry a canoe to overcome the castle Alex discovers that the Mexicans are affectionate and responsive; much more hospitable than Americans ... John Krakauer, to the wild routes, page 56 Later, manages to get to his destination, but when he resumes his canoe journey he misses again and travels for 36 days along the deserted beaches, feeding on two kilograms of rice he was carrying with him. This last situation convinced him that he was capable of surviving in Alaska. Chapter 5: Bullhead City Author begins the fifth chapter with a quote from Jack London's book The Call of the Jungle, and then presents the following inscription of Alex inside the bus, which refers to this book.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Within “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau and “The Death of An
    Transcendentalism: Ethereal Experience or Tragic Naiveté? Within “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau and “The Death of an Innocent by Jon Krakauer, the individual’s search for isolation and a transcendental experience is illustrated with drastically different results. While both Thoreau and McCandless are indeed idealistic, Thoreau walked away from Walden Pond, McCandless did not. Your assignment is to analyze the similarities and differences of their transcendental experiences. Use: Thoreau’s “Walden” on page 205 of your texts. Krakauer’s “The Death of an Innocent” from Outside magazine (see below) Venn Diagram Outside Magazine January 1993 Death of an Innocent How Christopher McCandless lost his way in the wilds By Jon Krakauer James Gallien had driven five miles out of Fairbanks when he spotted the hitchhiker standing in the snow beside the road, thumb raised high, shivering in the gray Alaskan dawn. A rifle protruded from the young man's pack, but he looked friendly enough; a hitchhiker with a Remington semiautomatic isn't the sort of thing that gives motorists pause in the 49th state. Gallien steered his four-by-four onto the shoulder and told him to climb in. The hitchhiker introduced himself as Alex. "Alex?" Gallien responded, fishing for a last name. "Just Alex," the young man replied, pointedly rejecting the bait. He explained that he wanted a ride as far as the edge of Denali National Park, where he intended to walk deep into the bush and "live off the land for a few months." Alex's backpack appeared to weigh only 25 or 30 pounds, which struck Gallien, an accomplished outdoorsman, as an improbably light load for a three-month sojourn in the backcountry, especially so early in the spring.
    [Show full text]
  • Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
    Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer An Introduction Christopher Johnson McCandless • Grew up in an affluent D.C. suburb • Excelled academically • Elite athlete • Graduated from Emory University • Donated his savings, abandoned his possessions, broke contact with his family, hitchhiked to Alaska AUDIOBOOK for Into the Wild (If you choose to use the audiobook, be sure to follow along with the physical copy of your book.) https://www.schooltube.com/media/Into+the+Wild+Audio/1_k9r8ph7p The Journey of Chris McCandless – 1990-1992 Author—Jon Krakauer • An outdoorsman and journalist • Focuses his writing on nature • Began career as a journalist reporting on his love of mountain climbing • Published in numerous magazines (e.g., Outside, National Geographic, and Rolling Stone) • He has published both fiction and nonfiction novels • Chapters 14 & 15 in Into the Wild provide a parallel between McCandless’s life and Krakauer’s life Synopsis of Into the Wild • Tells the true story of Christopher McCandless • Abandons his family and friends to walk alone into the wilderness of Alaska in April of 1992 • The nonfiction narrative tells the story of McCandless’s privileged background & his possible motivations for giving up everything to trek into the wilderness Interviews with • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVSR4zEJvtg Jon Krakauer • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNp3CIJPoB0 about Into the &t=61s Wild Text Structure and Organization of Into the Wild • Journalistic, narrative-driven nonfiction plot • 18 titled chapters that highlight locations from McCandless’s life • Author’s Note, Epilogue, Afterward • Epigraphs precede every chapter • Maps are included at the beginning of four chapters • Story told through multiple perspectives • Story told in a nonlinear structure • Readers learn about Chris McCandless through the many individuals who encountered him along his journey west.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pursuit Of
    Unit 5 The Pursuit of Happiness Essential Questions Unit Overview The pursuit of happiness is an integral part of ? What does it mean to the American Dream and part of the foundation pursue happiness? of this country. Many people think that the fulfillment of the American Dream centers on financial success; however, riches are not the How does a writer ? path to happiness for everyone. In this unit, you represent research will examine how one person rejected wealth through multiple texts? in favor of a different pathway to happiness; you will also look at how others have found enlightenment in everyday experiences. Next, you will research the American Dream and the pursuit of happiness and articulate what that dream means to you and your fellow Americans. 359 Unit The Pursuit of Happiness 5 Contents Learning Focus: The Search for Self. 362 Goals Activities: C To analyze and evaluate 5.1 Previewing the Unit .....................................363 the structural and 5.2 Searching for Meaning . .................................364 stylistic features of texts Essay: Excerpt from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau C To compose a personal Essay: Excerpt from Self-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo Emerson essay that employs Poetry: “In the Depths of Solitude,” by Tupac stylistic techniques 5.3 My Credo ..............................................366 C To synthesize research Nonfiction: Credo from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in into a multi-genre Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum research paper 5.4 Just the Facts . .........................................371 5.5 Looking at Structure ...................................373 ACADEMIC VOCABUlaRY Biography: “Author’s Note,” from Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer Coherence 5.6 Meeting Christopher McCandless .
    [Show full text]
  • Study Guide: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
    Study Guide: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer I. Character Identification: Be able to identify description of the following people. Jan Burres Billie McCandless Everett Reuss Ronald Franz Carnie McCandless Gene Rosellini Jim Gallien Chris McCandeless Gaylord Stuckey Loren Johnson Walt McCandeless John Waterman Jon Krakauer Carl McCunn Wayne Westerberg II. Identification of Location: Be able to identify descriptions of the following locations. What is the name of the national park in which the Stampede Trail can be located and where McCandelss planned to live in the world? What is the name of the trail McCandeless follows into the wild and site of Bus 142? In what city and state did McCandless’s car die? Where was McCandless born and raised? What location did McCandless claim as a permanent address after leaving home and where did he have all of his mail forwarded to? What is the name of the old navy air base that functions as a seasonal home to the destitute and where McCandless met back up with Jan Burres and her boyfriend, Bob? Where did McCandless meet Ronald Franz? Where did McCandless work at McDonald’s for a while? What was the name of the peak that Jon Krakauer hoped to climb? What is the name of the river that McCandless cannot cross in order to reach safety at the end of the novel? III. True or False Chris McCandless envied people who were wealthy. True or False. Most of the people who met Chris McCandless were very impressed by his character. True or False. IV. Multiple Choice What could have saved McCandless’s life? a.
    [Show full text]
  • The Writer by Richard Wilbur ​ in Her Room at the Prow of the House Where Light Breaks, and the Windows Are Tossed with Linden, My Daughter Is Writing a Story
    The Writer by Richard Wilbur ​ In her room at the prow of the house Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden, My daughter is writing a story. I pause in the stairwell, hearing From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys Like a chain hauled over a gunwale. Young as she is, the stuff Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy: I wish her a lucky passage. But now it is she who pauses, As if to reject my thought and its easy figure. A stillness greatens, in which The whole house seems to be thinking, And then she is at it again with a bunched clamor Of strokes, and again is silent. I remember the dazed starling Which was trapped in that very room, two years ago; How we stole in, lifted a sash And retreated, not to affright it; And how for a helpless hour, through the crack of the door, We watched the sleek, wild, dark And iridescent creature Batter against the brilliance, drop like a glove To the hard floor, or the desk-top, And wait then, humped and bloody, For the wits to try it again; and how our spirits Rose when, suddenly sure, It lifted off from a chair-back, Beating a smooth course for the right window And clearing the sill of the world. It is always a matter, my darling, Of life or death, as I had forgotten. I wish What I wished you before, but harder. 2 Rhinebeck High School Anthology of Student Writing 2016-2017 Welcome to Rhinebeck High School’s Second Annual Anthology of Student Writing! This year’s collection includes writing from all grade levels, and we are proud to feature texts with a variety of purposes and styles.
    [Show full text]
  • 101 Questions on Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
    101 Questions On Into the Wild By Jon Krakauer Name_____________________________ 101 Questions for Into the Wild Judging a Book by the Cover 1) Use imagery to describe the picture on the front cover in detail: 2) Now read the words after the title. You already know the fate of the protagonist. What affect does this have on you as a reader before you begin the narrative? Why do you think the author chose to do this? Chapter 1 “The Alaska Interior” 3) Jim Gallien describes a hitchhiker. What does he say he looks like? 4) How did the hitchhiker introduce himself? Why do you think he used a pseudonym? 5) What did Gallien notice about this hitchhiker’s preparedness for the Alaskan wilderness initially and then after their drive together? 6) What did Gallien notice about the hitchhiker’s feelings about the government? 7) Gallien insisted that hitchhiker take a few of his things. How did that interaction play out? What was the date of this entire incident? Chapter 2 “The Stampede Trail” 8) This chapter begins with a quote from Jack London. Who is he and what has he written? 9) Describe the bus on page 10 &11. Where is it located and what does it look like? 10) What did Thompson, Samel, and Swanson find on the door of the bus? Who else was at the bus that day? 11) How long had Chris McCandless been dead? What did they decide to do about the body? 12) What is assumed happened to Chris? Chapter 3 “Carthage” 13) Who is Wayne Westerberg? Where does he live? What was his relation to Chris (Alex)? 14) What is a “rubber tramp” 15) How did Westerberg describe Chris’s work ethic? How else did he characterize him? 16) In pages 19 – 23 we learn more about Chris’s past.
    [Show full text]
  • 2000 Highlander Vol 82 No 14 May 1, 2000
    Regis University ePublications at Regis University Highlander - Regis University's Student-Written Archives and Special Collections Newspaper 5-1-2000 2000 Highlander Vol 82 No 14 May 1, 2000 Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.regis.edu/highlander Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, and the Education Commons Recommended Citation "2000 Highlander Vol 82 No 14 May 1, 2000" (2000). Highlander - Regis University's Student-Written Newspaper. 137. https://epublications.regis.edu/highlander/137 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Archives and Special Collections at ePublications at Regis University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Highlander - Regis University's Student-Written Newspaper by an authorized administrator of ePublications at Regis University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Bi-Monthly ~tudent Publication Vol. 82. No. 14 Denver. Colorado l\ lorn.lay. i\ la) I. 2000 Value of fake IDs is questionable by Ashly Hoffman Lazy summer days at the pool, followed by long nights at the bars is right to seize the license and detain the minor for questioning. what awaits many students after their departure from school; but for those Asst City Attorney Kory Nelson offered a particular warning for those FEATURE of who aren't of legal age, a few words to the wise: fake ID's are not always fake ID offenders who gain entrance into bars/clubs by using their friend's what they are cracked up to be. ID. Those people given a ticket or citation that night under the alias of the Summer approaches and The routine is familiar to most: your friend has a friend who knows a fraudulent ID can later be charged with a class 6 felony called Criminal someone either needs more guy who has a brother who can make or alter your current driver's license.
    [Show full text]
  • Land Safety & Survival
    Land Safety and Survival: Volume 3 Surviving Outdoor Adventures Written by Alaska Marine Safety Education Association staff: Marian Allen, Steven Campbell, Jerry Dzugan, Dan Falvey, Michael Jones, Rick McElrath, and Shawn Newell Edited by Marian Allen, Susan Jensen, Shawn Newell, Dan Walker, and Madelyn Walker Published by University of Alaska Sea Grant Fairbanks, Alaska SG-ED-38 This publication is a product of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) whose mission is to reduce injury and the loss of life due to drowning and hypothermia through education and training. AMSEA is supported by the following organizations: Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC); University of Alaska Marine Advisory Program; North Pacific Fishermen’s Association; North Pacific Fisheries Observer Training Center; Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium; Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, Environmental Health; Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Petersburg Vessel Owners Association; Alaska Department of Health and Human Services, Community Health and Emergency Medical Services Section; National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research; U.S. Coast Guard 17th District, Maritime Office of Compliance (MOC). This publication was made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Rural Health Outreach; the Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs; the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health; the Reuben E. Crossett Endowed Alaskan Fund; and the Sitka, Alaska School District Migrant Education Program. More lesson plans and additional teaching resources can be found on AMSEA’s Web site: www.amsea.org Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Cataloging in Publication Data: Allen, Marian.
    [Show full text]
  • D683e Doni, Marcelo Viana
    UNIVERSIDADE PRESBITERIANA MACKENZIE GRACIENE SILVA DE SIQUEIRA NA NATUREZA SELVAGEM: UMA ANÁLISE DOS PROCEDIMENTOS DA ADAPTAÇÃO DO LIVRO-REPORTAGEM PARA O CINEMA E DE SUAS RELAÇÕES TRANSTEXTUAIS São Paulo 2018 GRACIENE SILVA DE SIQUEIRA NA NATUREZA SELVAGEM: UMA ANÁLISE DOS PROCEDIMENTOS DA ADAPTAÇÃO DO LIVRO-REPORTAGEM PARA O CINEMA E DE SUAS RELAÇÕES TRANSTEXTUAIS Tese apresentada ao Programa de Pós- Graduação em Letras da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, como requisito parcial à obtenção de título de Doutor em Letras. ORIENTADORA: Profª. Drª. Maria Luiza Guarnieri Atik São Paulo 2018 S618n Siqueira, Graciene Silva de. Na natureza selvagem : uma análise dos procedimentos da adaptação do livro-reportagem para o cinema e de suas relações transtextuais / Graciene Silva de Siqueira. 196 f. : il. ; 30 cm Tese (Doutorado em Letras) – Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, 2018. Orientadora: Maria Luiza Guarnieri Atik. Referências bibliográficas: f. 189-195. 1. Livro-reportagem. 2. Na natureza selvagem. 3. Krakauer, Jon. 4. Adaptação cinematográfica. 5. Penn, Sean. 6. Transtextualidade. I. Atik, Maria Luiza Guarnieri, orientadora. II. Título. CDD 791.430973 Bibliotecária Responsável: Eliana Barboza de Oliveira Silva - CRB 8/8925 “A felicidade só é real quando compartilhada.” (Christopher Johnson McCandless) AGRADECIMENTOS A Deus, pois até aqui me ajudou o Senhor. À minha família, que durante os anos do Doutorado esteve longe fisicamente, mas próxima em meu coração. À minha filha Júlia Siqueira, companheira, conselheira, que soube falar nos momentos certos para me acalmar e em outros se manteve em silêncio, apenas me oferecendo seu ombro. À Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, pelo apoio por meio da Bolsa Isenção, sem a qual minha estada em São Paulo teria sido mais difícil.
    [Show full text]
  • Na Natureza Selvagem
    NA NATUREZA SELVAGEM Tradução: PEDRO MAIA SOARES Revisão e formatação do e-book: Projeto Democratização da Leitura Copyright © 1996 by Jon Krakauer Publicado em acordo com Lennart Sane Agency AB Título original: Into the wild Capa: Hélio de Almeida Foto da capa: People Weekly © 1992 by Phil Shofield Preparação: Isabel Jorge Cury Revisão: Carmen S. da Costa Cláudia Cantarin Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP) (Câmara Brasileira do Livro, SP, Brasil) Krakauer, JaTI Na natureza selvagem I JaTI Krakauer; tradução Pedro Maia Soares. - São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 1998. Título original: lnto the Wild. ISBN 978-85-7164-787-9 1. Aventuras e aventureiros - Estados Unidos Biografia 2. McCandless. Christopher Johnson, 1968-1992 3. Viagens de carona – Alasca 4. Viagens de carona - Oeste (U.S.) 5. Vida errante – Alasca 6. Vida errante - Oeste (US.) I. TItulo. 98-2199 CDD-917.98 Índice para catálogo sistemático: 1. Aventureiros desaparecidos Biografia 917.98 2009 Todos os direitos desta edição reservados à EDITORA SCHWARCZ LTDA. Rua Bandeira Paulista, 702, cj. 32 04532-002 - São Paulo - SP Telefone: (11) 3707-3500 Fax: (11) 3707-3501 www.companhiadasletras.com.br NOTA DO AUTOR Em abril de 1992, um jovem de uma família abastada da costa leste dos Estados Unidos foi de carona até o Alasca e adentrou sozinho a região selvagem e desabitada ao norte do monte McKinley. Quatro meses depois, seu corpo decomposto foi encontrado por um grupo de caçadores de alce. Pouco após a descoberta do cadáver, o editor da revista Outside pediu-me uma reportagem sobre as circunstâncias enigmáticas da morte do rapaz.
    [Show full text]
  • INTO the WILD for Linda
    Krakauer INTO THE WILD For Linda AUTHOR’S NOTE In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters. Shortly after the discovery of the corpse, I was asked by the editor of Outside magazine to report on the puzzling circumstances of the boy’s death. His name turned out to be Christopher Johnson McCandless. He’d grown up, I learned, in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C., where he’d excelled academically and had been an elite athlete. Immediately after graduating, with honors, from Emory University in the summer of 1990, McCandless dropped out of sight. He changed his name, gave the entire balance of a twenty-four- thousand-dollar savings account to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet. And then he invented a new life for himself, taking up residence at the ragged margin of our society, wandering across North America in search of raw, transcendent experience. His family had no idea where he was or what had become of him until his remains turned up in Alaska. Working on a tight deadline, I wrote a nine-thousand-word article, which ran in the January 1993 issue of the magazine, but my fascination with McCandless remained long after that issue of Outside was replaced on the newsstands by more current journalistic fare. I was haunted by the particulars of the boy’s starvation and by vague, unsettling parallels between events in his life and those in my own.
    [Show full text]
  • West Virginia
    April 6 , 201 7 West Virginia Tim Pauley PO Box 58403, Charleston, WV 25358 Do You Have an Exit Strategy? 304.767.8430 Ed Hamrick [email protected] In John Krakauer's book " Into the Wild " we learn of Carl McCunn, a likeable Texan with a love for the great outdoors. He moved to Alaska in the late 1970's to work on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline construction project where he made good money. In March of 1981, the thirty-five-year-old McCunn hired a bush pilot to drop him at a remote lake on the southern edge of the Brooks Range. An amateur photographer, he told friends that the primary reason for the 5-month adventure was to shoot pictures of wildlife. McCunn spent an entire year, planning for his expedition, seeking advice, checking details and purchasing supplies. With two rifles (.22 and .30-30 caliber), a shotgun, fourteen hundred pounds of provisions and five hundred rolls of film he planned to stay in the wilderness until August. In spite of his careful preparation, Carl McCunn overlooked one important detail that would end up costing him his life. He failed to make arrangements to be picked up, a mistake he didn't realize until August. We know this because of the diary Alaska State Troopers found next to his emaciated, frozen body the following February. In it, McCunn wrote: "I think I should have used more foresight about arranging for my departure." As we consider the Carl McCunn story we may be confident that we would never be so foolish as to overlook the most important part of such an expedition, getting out alive.
    [Show full text]