Into+The+Wild

Primary Text:
__Into the Wild__ by Jon Krakauer non-fiction

Additional Texts:
"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson "Self-Reliance" by R.W. Emerson "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" by Henry David Thoreau "A Clear Midnight" by Walt Whitman "Song Of Myself #52" by W. Whitman "Piute Creek" by Gary Snyder "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" by Gary Snyder "Mowing" Robert Frost "The Vantage Point" Robert Frost "Mending Wall" Robert Frost "Sleeping in the Forest" Mary Oliver "Morning Poem" Mary Oliver
 * Essays**
 * Poems**
 * Short Stories**

[[image:yhstommaso:chris-mccandless.jpg width="302" height="233" align="right" caption="chris-mccandless.jpg"]]
"To Build A Fire" by Jack London "Reunion" by John Cheever

The ending goal of this unit will be a 3-4 page critical analysis about how two of the additional texts we have read connect to some of the themes of __Into The Wild__. In our discussions of these texts we will talk about the ideas of Transcendentalists, the contrast between the idealism of Romantic writers and the grittier, objective tone of Realists. We will also discuss the impact on the individual of human relationships, especially between parents and children. In your essay, I will ask you to focus on some of these themes in your essay and use the literature to explain and develop your own take on the ideas that the life of Chris McCandless poses and the foundation of these ideas in American literature.

1. **We will actively read Krakauer's book on our own with the following essential questions as guidelines:**
Who was Christopher McCandless and why did he do what he did? How was he romantic or idealistic? How does his story reflect realism? How do his motivations and decisions reflect a particularly American mindest? Why is McCandless’s story so popular with and interesting to American audiences? What great American writers influenced and affected McCandless? What are the dimensions of forgiveness and tolerance in human relationships? Two questions Krakauer asks at the beginning: What kind of grip does the idea of wilderness have on the American mind? Why do high-risk activities hold such an allure for young [people] of a certain mind?

**3. You will choose 2 of the texts above to write about in a critical essay.**
====**4. While the goal of this analysis is thematic, you should also be thinking about language and structure. We will complete an analysis sheet for each of the pieces you have chosen to write about. A link is below.**====

Reading Schedule
Date Due/ Chapters Finished

Tues. Jan 19 1-4 (34 pages)* Read Quiz Thurs. Jan 21 5-7 (33 pages) Mon. Jan 25 8-11 (46 pages)*Read Quiz Fri. Jan 29 12-15 (39 pages) Tues. Feb. 2 16-end (46 pages)*Read Quiz

Unit Resources (Check back...there will be more here as we progress through the unit.)
Critical analysis