Exploration of Manifest Destiny In John Krakauer's Into the Wild Anonymous 11th Grade

Even from the humble beginnings of modern Western society, the wilderness has gripped the collective imagination of Americans. Through Manifest Destiny and, more recently, expansion into the American Northwest, modern minds have been captured by the allure of the wilderness. Jon Krakauer is no different. After learning of the death of Christopher McCandless, Krakauer writes a quick article on the unfortunate demise. His work soon becomes his passion as Krakauer composes a nonfiction narrative on the adventure that ultimately lead to the downfall of McCandless. In his narrative, Krakauer drifts from traditional transcendentalist writing through the utilization of concrete rather than the abstract diction often found in transcendentalist literature. Although initial perceptions of Krakauer’s objective revolve around the description of McCandless’s mortality, a truer purpose lies in the exploration of why American minds are so captivated by the wilderness.

Often, Krakauer crafts dramatic shifts in tone to represent the affect nature has on one’s mind. When writing of his excursion onto Devil’s Thumb, Krakauer begins his ascent with a distant tone generated by the dry diction of “catwalk,” “rock prow,” and “thereby execute” (141)....