Characters
The last person Chris had contact with before he died
Jim Gallien
implied theme that stresses the egregious nature of boundaries
ultimate freedom
the name of the trail that Chris took to arrive in the wild
Stampede Trail
Symbol of Chris's journey through America
his leather belt
what did Chris do with his savings account after he graduated from Emory
Donated it to OXFAM
The person who liked Chris because he reminded him of his dead son; wanted to adopt Chris after he came back from his adventure
Ron Franz
the reason Chris clashes with the world/people around him
stubbornness
moral rigidity
hyper independence
The name of the National Park in Alaska where Chris spent the finals months of his journey
Denali National Park
Symbol of Chris's disinterest in material things
the Datsun
Who were the 3 most influential authors for Chris
Leo Tolstoy, Jack London, Henry David Thoreau
Gave Chris a job on a grain elevator; is the reason authorities could ID Chris
Wayne Westerberg
the feeling of exploration, of wanting to go into nature or solitude and "get lost"
the grip wilderness has on the American imagination
Carthage, South Dakota
Symbol of irony - particularly stressed in Ch. 17
the "Magic Bus" - he wants to immerse himself in the wild, yet takes refuge in the bus
Why does Billie say it was ironic that her son believed wealth was shameful, corrupting, and inherently evil
He was a natural-born capitalist with an uncanny knack for making a buck
Chris's alias
Alexander Supertramp
Krakauer's relationship with his father that in some ways parallels Chris's relationship with Walt
complicated, highly charged bond that exists between fathers and sons
Desired destination when he began his canoeing adventure
Mexico
Natural force that frightened Chris, but proved to be a significant symbol of irony
Water
Where is Chris staying when he meets Ron Franz
Oh-My-God Hotsprings
Rubber tramp who picked up Chris and stayed in touch via postcards
Why Krakauer and McCandless spent time in nature, summiting mountains, canoeing down rivers, etc.
the allure high risk activities hold for young men of a certain mind
The place where he sold books for Jan and Bob, broke the heart of a young girl, and enjoyed socializing
the Slabs
Symbol of regret
the moose - "one of the greatest tragedies of my life"
Why was Billie comforted by visiting the bus
It was the one place they knew for sure Chris had been - it was terrible not knowing.