In life, too, McCandless touched many of the people he came across. But the bus where he died became a pilgrimage site for his admirers – people from all over the world who know what it means to yearn for something more. He’d starved to death 19 days prior.Īlaskans have largely dismissed McCandless as a foolhardy dreamer with a death wish. It was the latest chapter in his two-year odyssey roaming the American West in pursuit of adventure, self-discovery, and a higher truth than what he’d known in his genteel suburban upbringing.įour months later, his body was discovered by moose hunters in an abandoned bus. One morning in late April 1992, Christopher McCandless walked alone into the Alaskan backcountry, armed with a rifle, a pair of too-large rubber boots, and a field guide to edible plants. Those looking to understand why some people take risks others find unthinkableĪn unflinching meditation on youth, trauma, and the thrill of adventure.People fascinated by the thrill of outdoor adventure.Verify that your summary includes the title and author of the book as well as the chapter reference.An unflinching account of the extraordinary life and death of Christopher McCandless - Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Who is this book for If you use an especially colorful sentence from the chapter, attribute it to the author to avoid plagiarism. The summary should be in your own words, not the author's. All the essential elements - characters, setting, theme and significant details - should be clearly and logically presented without distracting nonessentials or opinions. Review your summary and revise it as needed. Two or three more sentences are sufficient. Write the details as the author presented them chronologically. Include broad details or concepts, but be selective and focus on the most significant ones. Consider the motivation of the protagonist and antagonist and how they are feeling or reacting to the chapter's events. The supporting details answer the questions of why and how. They include the ways that the main character attempts to resolve the conflict. The supporting details are the feelings and actions that support the main idea. In two or three sentences, state the main action, the conflict and the moral, if it is obvious.
The main idea can also include a message or a moral. The character could be stuck in a storm or trying to win someone's affection. Other times the conflict is external - the character against his environment or another character. For example, the character might be struggling to contain his anger or dangerous impulses. Often the character is attempting to solve a conflict. To determine what it is, consider what the main character spends most of the time doing or thinking about. The main idea is the main theme in the chapter. The setting can be as specific as Manhattan in June 1965 or as broad as a rural village in the Middle Ages.
The setting of the chapter is when and where the story takes place. If the chapter contains supporting characters, such as friends and family members, only include them if they influence the chapter's outcome. Include information about both the protagonist, the positive main character, and antagonist, the person who opposes the main character, if the chapter includes both of these characters. They do most of the acting, feeling and talking in the chapter. The main characters are who the story is about. Begin your summary by stating the main characters and setting of the chapter in one to two sentences.