In chapter 6, Krakauer writes:

Question

Into the Wild

In chapter 6, Krakauer writes:

"On March 14, Franz left McCandless on the shoulder of Interstate 70 outside Grand Junction and returned to southern California. McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well-relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. He has fled the claustrophobic confines of his family. He'd successfully kept Jan Burres and Wayne Westberg at arm's length, flitting out of their lives before anything was expected of him. And now he'd slipped ainlessly out of Ron Franz's life as well (55).

Does Krakauer actually know what McCandless was feeling at this point? How can he tell? What evidence does he have? Is he right?

Asked by Jenn R #931927 on 9/27/2019 2:57 AM

Last updated by Aslan on 9/27/2019 3:03 AM

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Answered by Aslan on 9/27/2019 3:03 AM

I think Krakauer knows more than the reader knows. Krakauer's interpretation is true on a superficial level but I think there is a little bit of sarcasm here. Deep down Chris was abandoning the people that cared about him: Chris was abandoning what it means to be human. Later Chris will process what he always has known. He needs those emotional connections and messy relationships. He needs the company of other people and his plans of being a Thoreau-like hermit were naive at best.

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