Background information

In this section, you can read some background information that may be useful when working with Christopher McCandless’ letter taken from Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

McCandless’ letter was published in the non-fiction book Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer. The book was written after Krakauer published an article on McCandless’ death.

The book follows Christopher McCandless from his graduation to his death in the Alaskan wilderness. After graduating from college with a good degree, McCandless donated his savings to charity. He also changed his name to Alexander Supertramp and adopted a nomadic lifestyle. After working in South Dakota in a grain elevator, McCandless set off for Alaska.

Krakauer’s book follows McCandless’ journey to Alaska, but also offers information about other people’s attempts to conquer the wilderness. The book also trie...