The First Which Should Have Been the Last Epigraph

Hitchhiking into the unbroke, untouched, native, neglected, fierce, and natural wild to Alaska to get away from society, was Chris McCandless’ way of finding a way to be accepted by himself. Even, though Chris was accepted by society it was more important for him to become accepted of himself. Chris wanted to live in the wild and be away from civilization; however, Chris’ plan for going into the wild and going back to society, ends up becoming short and leads to his death.

Krakauer’s Into the Wild contains the use of epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, to represent the journey of Chris McCandless. The first epigraph used in the novel is Stampede trail which is one of the epigraphs in the novel that most accurately symbolizes Chris, by including the darker side of nature, the insight into human nature and the wilderness was laughing at him as he was slowly faded away to his death.

The Stampede epigraph gives insight into Chris’ influences and hopes that were influenced by Jack London.

Nature is often described as beautiful but this epigraph shows there is a darker side to nature. Some parts of nature humans can survive but the more dangerous side of nature could be harder for one to survive. “It was wild, the savage, frozen-hearted Northland Wild” (qtd. In White Fang) (Krakauer 9). Jack London describes the wild as a harsh savage, and if one is not prepared or ready then would tend to find a hard time living and surviving living in the wild; thus, he had a passion for going into the wild, he was unprepared but still went with his plan with going into the wilderness.

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London’s White Fang also explains the love of the wilderness and insight into human nature. Since London has never lived in the wild, the White Fang symbolizes McCandless. An escape from the American society of the way of life.

Based on this epigraph the reader can tell that Chris was fascinated with London’s writing because of London’s understanding of nature. On the site of Chris’ death, he carves into a piece of, “Jack London is king” (qtd. In White Fang) (Krakauer 9) in big graffiti letters. Chris’ purpose of carving “Jack London is King” (qtd. In White Fang) (Krakauer 9) was to make sure others saw his admiration and how he felt towards London, McCandless felt that London was someone in power, someone to look up to. Chris believed that he did not need the help to survive off others, he wanted to be able to use his ability to create his path. The laughter of others and from nature was surrounded by Chris, while he was saying goodbye to the world. Many thought that his plan of going to Alaska was not the best ideal plan, but he was not going to let others get in the way of his fantasy. The lifeless land was the site of his death, no one around, just Chris himself. “The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness. There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter”(qtd. In White Fang) (Krakauer 9).

Chris and London both have an understanding of nature and what it has to offer. Dry and dying lifeless land, Chris realizes that the laughter comes from the people in his past, the ones who said it wasn’t smart for him to go into the wild were laughing as he was washing away with the washed away land. The abandoned bus in the wild signifies the death of Chris McCandless, a young man trying to escape his society and going live off the wilderness, to become acceptive of himself. Krakauer includes epigraphs at the beginning of the chapters in the novel, as he tries to explain Chris’ journey through the use of epigraphs. The Stampede Trail, the first epigraph and the last stop for Chris, is an important epigraph that symbolizes his journey because he realizes what nature has to offer him and nature’s true colors. The epigraph includes half of a quote from Jack London and the other half is what Chris thought of Jack London. In addition, the epigraph gives the reader an insight of the darker side of nature, the love Chris has for nature and how nature slowly laughed at Chris as he was dying. The epigraph gives a deeper understanding of London’s influences on Chris.