Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. Print.
Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, is an in-depth look at the story of Christopher McCandless, his family, his schooling, and his adventure into the Alaskan wild, and all those that he encountered, and finally his death. Krakauer goes in detail everything that Chris did from the time that he left home for school at Emory University to the very time of his death. He describes Chris’s blatant lack of respect for his parents, and Chris’s reasons for that lack of respect. He writes about Chris’s relationship with his sister, Carine, and how their closeness got each other through the abuse that their parents put them through. Krakauer describes even how Chris felt during his journey, through his journals and stories from others. Basically, Krakauer tells Chris McCandless’s story as closely through Chris’s perspective as he possibly can, and he does a fantastic job of it.
Krakauer’s book directly relates to my topic, because it is the full story of Chris McCandless, and it is the most accurate; aside from facts given by Carine herself and the people that Chris encountered. Krakauer also really goes into detail about Chris’s home life, including the abuse he and Carine endured in their childhood, which is really the focus of my research. I believe that Krakauer did a fantastic job in writing this book because he is objective in his writing. He is also subjective, including his thoughts and ideas about Chris, which can really help the reader understand the situation more. I don’t believe that this source is in any way weak, except for the fact that Krakauer was not able to get all of the raw facts about Chris’s family, due to Carine’s self-censoring. Carine decided to do this to “protect” her parents, in hopes that they would change, which we later find out that they do not. However, this book is, I believe, one of my strongest sources.
This is an extremely credible source because Krakauer didn’t write off of just hearsay. He found Chris’s family and friends, bosses, people Chris encountered, and he got to know them, and he got to know what these people knew and thought of Chris. The only way that Krakauer’s research could have been better is if he talked to Chris, himself. When stating facts about Chris’s story, Krakauer remained objective, and he made sure that what he was saying about Chris was accurate. Jon Krakauer did a great job of achieving accuracy and truth in his book about Chris and his story.
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Macmillan, 1903. Print. This book by Jack London is a story about a dog named Buck who lived on a ranch in the 1890s, a time when sled dogs were in high demand. Buck is kidnapped from his home and taken to a ring of thieves who mercilessly beat him, and do not let him escape. Buck reluctantly begins to learn that any man with a club is master and must be obeyed no matter what. Buck is sent through extensive and brutal travel to find himself in the northern wild, where he must learn to revert back to his primal instincts to survive being a sled dog in the extreme cold and foodless conditions, leading to him fighting and killing the leader of the pack of dogs, and him becoming the leader of the pack. Through this experience, Buck learns to survive in scarce and primitive conditions, as well as undying devotion to a man named John Thornton who nursed him back to health after a mishap in a melting pond.
This book relates to my topic because I briefly talk about McCandless’s infatuation with Jack London, and London did a lot of research and personal exploration through the writing of this book, as he went and spent an amount of time in the Yukon as well as Alaska while researching. London’s trip has an influence to an extent on Chris’s trip to Alaska. It also relates because while Chris was in Alaska, he had to learn how to survive in scarce and severe situations like Buck, even though his trip ended in his death due to either starvation or being poisoned. However, I do believe that this source is not as strong as others because it doesn’t really focus on family relationships in the light that Chris experienced it. There is a part in the book when Buck goes against the pack leader, Spitz, and kills him, becoming the leader, which could relate to Chris’s extreme hate for his belligerent father, but again, this book does not focus on family relationships like the others do.
This is a credible source because it is a published novel by an accomplished author. Jack London wrote many books. With this book specifically, he spent a lot of time researching so that the book could be as accurate as possible- spending time in the Yukon and other parts of Alaska, studying the conditions, and what sled dogs had to do in that time. Jack London spent a lot of time on this book, and wanted it to be as accurate as possible and his research reflects that.
McAlpin, Heller. "Behind The Famous Story, A Difficult 'Wild Truth'" NPR. NPR, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
This article goes further into the story of Chris McCandless’s family life, specifically his brutally abusive father, and his mother who, regardless of her countless promises to leave their father, ended up enabling the abuse. McAlpin further explains the abuse that Walt McCandless put his family through, including but not limited to attacking their mother, Billie McCandless, and beating both Chris and his sister, Carine countless times. This article takes a further look into the harsh domestic abuse that Chris, Carine, and Billie endured at the hands of Walt.
This article heavily relates to my topic because it takes a look inside the McCandless family, and the true domestic abuse that the family went through because of their father, Walt. I believe that because of this domestic abuse and the constant lies that his parents told, Chris was driven away from his family, and that this abuse caused Chris to venture away to Alaska. McAlpin also describes Chris’s extremely close relationship with his sister, Carine, who I believe is the only person who kept Chris from leaving sooner. Carine and Chris were extremely close, probably because they were all each other had, and McAlpin further explains, through an interview with Carine herself, that even though they were so close, Carine did was not angry with her brother for leaving, which further illustrates their closeness.
This source is credible because it is from a well-known news entity, NPR. This source is also credible because McAlpin personally interviewed Carine McCandless, which is an extremely credible source in the story of Chris McCandless, as well as a primary source, which adds credibility to a source. This source is very credible, and the only thing that could make it stronger is if Carine wrote the article herself.
McCandless, Carine. The Wild Truth: The Secrets That Drove Chris McCandless Into the Wild. London: HarperElement, 2014. Print.
Carine McCandless knew that her brother died in 1992, she was 21 at the time. More than 20 years later, she finally decides to write and publish a book telling her story, and Chris’s story. She tells the story of her and Chris’s harsh childhood due to their father, Walt, and his constant lies and abuse, and their mother, Billie, who constantly enabled him, regardless of his countless attacks on her, and his numerous alcoholic rages. She explains why her brother was the way she was, and everything that they endured as siblings and a family. She unveils the truth about what really happened in the McCandless house.
This book is very relevant to my topic because Carine talks about the abuse that she and Chris had to endure from their parents. She talks about how this effected Chris is the long run, and how it most likely pushed him to cut ties with the family and go into the Alaskan wild. It is also a strong source because it is a primary source- Carine experienced the abuse and Chris’s disappearance first hand, so her facts and stories are valid.
Carine’s book is an incredibly credible source because it is from the source of the situation. She lived in the house with Chris and with their parents. She experienced the abuse first hand, both emotionally and physically. This is a perfect example of a strong, primary source.
Schonfeld, Zach. "What Really Drove Christopher McCandless ‘Into the Wild,’ According to Sister Carine’s Memoir." Newsweek. N.p., 16 Nov. 2014. Web. In this article, Schonfeld interviews Carine about why she waited to write the book when she did, and how she feels towards her parents and her brother. This article gives Carine’s readers a chance to have questions answered that Carine couldn’t answer in her book because she was trying to remain objective throughout the whole process. Schonfeld asks Carine questions about her parent’s response to the book, and whether or not it may have invoked some change in them, the answer being denial and that they had not changed.
This article relates to my topic in the way that Carine’s book relates to my topic because it is just another opportunity for Carine to elaborate on her and Chris’s experiences at home, however she also elaborates that it wasn’t all horrible. They had a roof over their head, and a nice one at that, even though it wasn’t a safe home. It relates to my topic because Carine further elaborates on their family life and how Chris felt the need to have a clean cut with his parents, as well as escape from the abusive grasp of their father. It is a rather strong source because it is an interview with someone who experienced the home first hand.
This source is credible because it is an interview with someone who lived in the McCandless house, and it is from a well-known news entity, Newsweek. He gives Carine’s full answers and doesn’t cut them down like a lot of news sources do. He asks about every aspect of Carine’s book, and doesn’t try to steer away from what Carine is talking about. It is a truthful, objective source.
REFLECTION: This was the hardest part of the project. It was tough to have to buckle down and really find sources that were relevant to my topic. It was even tougher to have to explain their usefulness.
Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, is an in-depth look at the story of Christopher McCandless, his family, his schooling, and his adventure into the Alaskan wild, and all those that he encountered, and finally his death. Krakauer goes in detail everything that Chris did from the time that he left home for school at Emory University to the very time of his death. He describes Chris’s blatant lack of respect for his parents, and Chris’s reasons for that lack of respect. He writes about Chris’s relationship with his sister, Carine, and how their closeness got each other through the abuse that their parents put them through. Krakauer describes even how Chris felt during his journey, through his journals and stories from others. Basically, Krakauer tells Chris McCandless’s story as closely through Chris’s perspective as he possibly can, and he does a fantastic job of it.
Krakauer’s book directly relates to my topic, because it is the full story of Chris McCandless, and it is the most accurate; aside from facts given by Carine herself and the people that Chris encountered. Krakauer also really goes into detail about Chris’s home life, including the abuse he and Carine endured in their childhood, which is really the focus of my research. I believe that Krakauer did a fantastic job in writing this book because he is objective in his writing. He is also subjective, including his thoughts and ideas about Chris, which can really help the reader understand the situation more. I don’t believe that this source is in any way weak, except for the fact that Krakauer was not able to get all of the raw facts about Chris’s family, due to Carine’s self-censoring. Carine decided to do this to “protect” her parents, in hopes that they would change, which we later find out that they do not. However, this book is, I believe, one of my strongest sources.
This is an extremely credible source because Krakauer didn’t write off of just hearsay. He found Chris’s family and friends, bosses, people Chris encountered, and he got to know them, and he got to know what these people knew and thought of Chris. The only way that Krakauer’s research could have been better is if he talked to Chris, himself. When stating facts about Chris’s story, Krakauer remained objective, and he made sure that what he was saying about Chris was accurate. Jon Krakauer did a great job of achieving accuracy and truth in his book about Chris and his story.
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Macmillan, 1903. Print. This book by Jack London is a story about a dog named Buck who lived on a ranch in the 1890s, a time when sled dogs were in high demand. Buck is kidnapped from his home and taken to a ring of thieves who mercilessly beat him, and do not let him escape. Buck reluctantly begins to learn that any man with a club is master and must be obeyed no matter what. Buck is sent through extensive and brutal travel to find himself in the northern wild, where he must learn to revert back to his primal instincts to survive being a sled dog in the extreme cold and foodless conditions, leading to him fighting and killing the leader of the pack of dogs, and him becoming the leader of the pack. Through this experience, Buck learns to survive in scarce and primitive conditions, as well as undying devotion to a man named John Thornton who nursed him back to health after a mishap in a melting pond.
This book relates to my topic because I briefly talk about McCandless’s infatuation with Jack London, and London did a lot of research and personal exploration through the writing of this book, as he went and spent an amount of time in the Yukon as well as Alaska while researching. London’s trip has an influence to an extent on Chris’s trip to Alaska. It also relates because while Chris was in Alaska, he had to learn how to survive in scarce and severe situations like Buck, even though his trip ended in his death due to either starvation or being poisoned. However, I do believe that this source is not as strong as others because it doesn’t really focus on family relationships in the light that Chris experienced it. There is a part in the book when Buck goes against the pack leader, Spitz, and kills him, becoming the leader, which could relate to Chris’s extreme hate for his belligerent father, but again, this book does not focus on family relationships like the others do.
This is a credible source because it is a published novel by an accomplished author. Jack London wrote many books. With this book specifically, he spent a lot of time researching so that the book could be as accurate as possible- spending time in the Yukon and other parts of Alaska, studying the conditions, and what sled dogs had to do in that time. Jack London spent a lot of time on this book, and wanted it to be as accurate as possible and his research reflects that.
McAlpin, Heller. "Behind The Famous Story, A Difficult 'Wild Truth'" NPR. NPR, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
This article goes further into the story of Chris McCandless’s family life, specifically his brutally abusive father, and his mother who, regardless of her countless promises to leave their father, ended up enabling the abuse. McAlpin further explains the abuse that Walt McCandless put his family through, including but not limited to attacking their mother, Billie McCandless, and beating both Chris and his sister, Carine countless times. This article takes a further look into the harsh domestic abuse that Chris, Carine, and Billie endured at the hands of Walt.
This article heavily relates to my topic because it takes a look inside the McCandless family, and the true domestic abuse that the family went through because of their father, Walt. I believe that because of this domestic abuse and the constant lies that his parents told, Chris was driven away from his family, and that this abuse caused Chris to venture away to Alaska. McAlpin also describes Chris’s extremely close relationship with his sister, Carine, who I believe is the only person who kept Chris from leaving sooner. Carine and Chris were extremely close, probably because they were all each other had, and McAlpin further explains, through an interview with Carine herself, that even though they were so close, Carine did was not angry with her brother for leaving, which further illustrates their closeness.
This source is credible because it is from a well-known news entity, NPR. This source is also credible because McAlpin personally interviewed Carine McCandless, which is an extremely credible source in the story of Chris McCandless, as well as a primary source, which adds credibility to a source. This source is very credible, and the only thing that could make it stronger is if Carine wrote the article herself.
McCandless, Carine. The Wild Truth: The Secrets That Drove Chris McCandless Into the Wild. London: HarperElement, 2014. Print.
Carine McCandless knew that her brother died in 1992, she was 21 at the time. More than 20 years later, she finally decides to write and publish a book telling her story, and Chris’s story. She tells the story of her and Chris’s harsh childhood due to their father, Walt, and his constant lies and abuse, and their mother, Billie, who constantly enabled him, regardless of his countless attacks on her, and his numerous alcoholic rages. She explains why her brother was the way she was, and everything that they endured as siblings and a family. She unveils the truth about what really happened in the McCandless house.
This book is very relevant to my topic because Carine talks about the abuse that she and Chris had to endure from their parents. She talks about how this effected Chris is the long run, and how it most likely pushed him to cut ties with the family and go into the Alaskan wild. It is also a strong source because it is a primary source- Carine experienced the abuse and Chris’s disappearance first hand, so her facts and stories are valid.
Carine’s book is an incredibly credible source because it is from the source of the situation. She lived in the house with Chris and with their parents. She experienced the abuse first hand, both emotionally and physically. This is a perfect example of a strong, primary source.
Schonfeld, Zach. "What Really Drove Christopher McCandless ‘Into the Wild,’ According to Sister Carine’s Memoir." Newsweek. N.p., 16 Nov. 2014. Web. In this article, Schonfeld interviews Carine about why she waited to write the book when she did, and how she feels towards her parents and her brother. This article gives Carine’s readers a chance to have questions answered that Carine couldn’t answer in her book because she was trying to remain objective throughout the whole process. Schonfeld asks Carine questions about her parent’s response to the book, and whether or not it may have invoked some change in them, the answer being denial and that they had not changed.
This article relates to my topic in the way that Carine’s book relates to my topic because it is just another opportunity for Carine to elaborate on her and Chris’s experiences at home, however she also elaborates that it wasn’t all horrible. They had a roof over their head, and a nice one at that, even though it wasn’t a safe home. It relates to my topic because Carine further elaborates on their family life and how Chris felt the need to have a clean cut with his parents, as well as escape from the abusive grasp of their father. It is a rather strong source because it is an interview with someone who experienced the home first hand.
This source is credible because it is an interview with someone who lived in the McCandless house, and it is from a well-known news entity, Newsweek. He gives Carine’s full answers and doesn’t cut them down like a lot of news sources do. He asks about every aspect of Carine’s book, and doesn’t try to steer away from what Carine is talking about. It is a truthful, objective source.
REFLECTION: This was the hardest part of the project. It was tough to have to buckle down and really find sources that were relevant to my topic. It was even tougher to have to explain their usefulness.