Who Said It?
"He couldn’t wait to head out there and get started. He had this big, excited grin on his face."
(Clue: Spoken about Chris during their ride to the Stampede Trail.)
Who is Jim Gallien?
"This Alaskan truck driver gave Chris McCandless his last ride to the Stampede Trail."
(Clue: He was the first person Krakauer interviews in the book.)
Who is Jim Gallien?
"This was the location where Chris’s abandoned yellow Datsun was discovered by park rangers."
What is Lake Mead National Recreation Area?
"This recurring motif represents Chris’s desire to escape society and live a life of simplicity and purity."
What is the wilderness?
"In a letter to Ronald Franz, Chris wrote, 'Don’t settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon.' What does this quote emphasize about Chris’s philosophy?"
What is his belief in the importance of adventure and living outside societal norms?
"He was polite and friendly, but kind of a strange guy. He didn’t like to wear socks."
(Clue: Describes Chris’s time working in Bullhead City.)
Who is a McDonald’s coworker?
"This middle-aged rubber tramp bonded with Chris and exchanged letters with him during his travels."
(Clue: She met Chris while traveling with her boyfriend, Bob, and grew fond of him.)
Who is Jan Burres?
"Chris worked here flipping burgers for several weeks but refused to wear socks, to the frustration of his manager."
What is McDonald’s in Bullhead City, Arizona?
"This item, crafted by Chris with Ronald Franz, symbolizes his journey and personal philosophy."
What is the leather belt?
"Chris wrote this in his journal after abandoning his car: 'I am reborn. This is my beginning.' What does this statement suggest about his mindset?"
What is his desire to start a new life free from material possessions and societal constraints?
"I’m living like this by choice. I don’t want things. I don’t need things. It’s just funny that people think I do."
(Clue: Said in a letter to Jan Burres during his stay in Bullhead City.)
Who is Chris McCandless?
"This elderly man became so attached to Chris that he offered to adopt him as his grandson."
Who is Ronald Franz?
"This is the name of the place where Chris camped near a community of drifters in the Anza-Borrego Desert."
What is Oh-My-God Hot Springs?
"Chris's abandonment of this symbol of material wealth reflects his rejection of conventional success and societal expectations."
What is money?
"Chris once said, 'Happiness is only real when shared.' In what context did he write this?"
What is his realization, late in his journey, that human connection is vital to fulfillment?
"He could talk for hours about the things he believed. I hadn’t met anyone like him before."
(Clue: Spoken about Chris during their time together near Oh-My-God Hot Springs.)
Who is Ronald Franz?
"This man allowed Chris to stay in his trailer briefly while he worked at McDonald’s in Bullhead City."
Who is Charlie?
"This location was Chris’s ultimate destination, where he planned to test his ability to live off the land in solitude."
What is the Stampede Trail in Alaska?
"This object, left behind at Lake Mead, symbolizes both Chris’s detachment from possessions and the precariousness of his journey."
What is his yellow Datsun?
"Chris told Ronald Franz, 'You are wrong if you think joy emanates only or principally from human relationships.' What does this statement reveal about his values at the time?"
What is his belief in finding joy and meaning through personal experiences and nature?
"He was a nice kid, but he never let you get too close. He liked to do his own thing."
(Clue: Spoken about Chris, who briefly stayed in Charlie’s trailer in Bullhead City.)
Who is Charlie?
"This person, described as Chris’s closest friend during his youth, said that Chris had 'an amazing intensity' and could 'be unbelievably stubborn.'"
Who is Carine McCandless?
"This is the location Chris reached after kayaking down the Colorado River, despite not having proper permits."
What is the Gulf of California?
"This is the symbolic reason why Chris rejects his real name and adopts the alias 'Alexander Supertramp.'"
What is his desire to create a new identity free from societal and familial ties?
"In a letter to Jan Burres, Chris wrote, 'I don’t want anything. I think owning things is kind of a stupid thing.' What larger theme does this reflect?"
What is his rejection of materialism and his commitment to living a minimalist, transcendental life?