Summer Reading Assignment English II Honors Mrs. Mathes

This summer, I’d like you to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, published in 1996. Into the Wild is a nonfiction work about a young man named Chris McCandless who turned his back on his family, education, society, and all the material comforts of life to wander America as a vagabond-- working odd jobs, making friends, living life on his own terms. He eventually made his way to Alaska with the aim of living off the land but died of starvation less than four months later. Author Jon Krakauer is a journalist and the author of several well-known works of nonfiction including Into Thin Air, about an attempted ascent of Mt. Everest that ended in tragedy, and Under the Banner of Heaven, about Mormons in America. Krakauer became fascinated with Chris McCandless’s story after he wrote an article for Outside magazine about the young man’s strange life and death. The book is Krakauer’s attempt to trace McCandless’s journey across the US, to talk to the people he befriended and the family he left behind, in order to try to understand what motivated him to seek out such extreme isolation and self sufficiency. Responses to McCandless’s story (and Krakauer’s book) have been passionate and varied: some people think Chris was an admirable young man who suffered a tragic end, while others dismiss him as an arrogant, self-centered man who got what he deserved.

• Active reading is a must for this class, so underline passages that seem most important to you (in other words, don’t underline everything!) and add notes in the margins about significant developments in character, conflict, and theme (The Big Three). I’ve also included a list of some topics to think about and annotate for as you read. • I also want you to keep a reading journal this summer in which you elaborate on some of the quotes from the book that you annotated. You may keep your journal on the computer or use a notebook—whichever you prefer. I’ve included a sample journal entry with this handout; please organize your entries in the same way. Each entry should include the date and the chapters covered in the entry. Divide your entry into two columns—in one, record specific quotes or events to which you are going to respond (include page numbers) and in the other column, record your observations and reflections. If the quote you’re going to write about is long, just quote the first few words and include the page number. • You should complete a journal entry after every 2-3 chapters of the book, and your entries should include thoughts on 1-2 quotes. Focus on the quotes and ideas in the book that seem most interesting or troubling to you. You will revise and turn in your journal entries for a grade.

Topics to Consider as You Read:

• In what ways does Chris McCandless’s journey conform to or not conform to the hero’s journey model you studied last year? • One of the themes in this book is transformation and self-knowledge. What causes Chris’s desire for transformation? How does he go about trying to achieve transformation and self-knowledge? Is Chris successful, in your opinion? • With which aspects of Chris’s life and desire can you most identify and why? Where do you not identify with Chris and his struggles?