Skip to main content

Who did Chris meet in the book Into the Wild?

Chris McCandless met all kinds of people during his months wandering the country.  There are simply too many to list, but I can help list and briefly explain some of the more prominent figures that Krakauer mentions.  


Jim Gallien.  Jim is interesting, because of how Krakauer chose to introduce him to the reader.  Jim is the first person that McCandless meets in the story, but Jim is also the last person to see McCandless...

Chris McCandless met all kinds of people during his months wandering the country.  There are simply too many to list, but I can help list and briefly explain some of the more prominent figures that Krakauer mentions.  


Jim Gallien.  Jim is interesting, because of how Krakauer chose to introduce him to the reader.  Jim is the first person that McCandless meets in the story, but Jim is also the last person to see McCandless alive.  Krakauer begins the story only a few months before McCandless is found dead, and then Krakauer flashes back.  Jim Gallien picked McCandless up in his truck and drove him to the start of the Stampede Trail.  


Ronald Franz.  Franz was an old man living out near the Salton Sea in southeast California.  He took McCandless under his wing for a few weeks and tried to convince McCandless to do something with his life.  The two men grew quite close and McCandless encouraged Franz to give up his sedentary life.  


Wayne Westerburg.  Westerburg owned a grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota.  He hired McCandless as a worker, and McCandless returned to him for work on multiple occasions.  While in Carthage, McCandless also met Mary Westerburg (Wayne's mother) and Gail Borah (Wayne's girlfriend). 


George Dreeszen and Lori Zarza.  Both were assistant managers at the McDonald's where McCandless had a job for a bit in Bullhead City. 


Charlie.  An old man that gave McCandless a mobile home to live in while in Bullhead City.  

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...