Characterization Notes on Christopher McCandless
(a.k.a. Alex Supertramp)
Assignment Directions: As you read Into the Wild, take notes on direct and indirect characterization traits about Christopher McCandless. For each chapter, pick out 2-3 descriptions about Chris that really stand out to you. This could be direct descriptions about what Christopher looks like to indirect descriptions about how Chris acts, what he says, how others view him, how he treats others, and anything about Chris that helps you form an opinion about him by the end of the novel. Keep in mind that by the end of the book, you will write an essay that gives your opinion on either side of the following argument presented in the “Author’s Note”:
“Some readers admired the boy immensely for his courage and noble ideals; others fulminated that he was a reckless idiot, a wacko, a narcissist who perished out of arrogance and stupidity – and was undeserving of the considerable media attention he received.”
Fill out the chart as you read and post on your blog when the chart is completed. Mrs. Z. will check your chart on your laptop periodically to see that you are adding notes and keeping up with the character chart as we read.
Direct and Indirect Characterization Notes on Christopher McCandless
(Alex Supertramp)
Chapter and page # | Description/quote from novel | What impression you get about Chris with this character trait or description? | |
Chapter 1, page 4 | “Five feet seven or eight with a wiry build, he claimed to be 24 years old and said he was from South Dakota. He explained that he wanted a ride as far as the edge of Denali National Park, where he intended to walk deep into the bush and ‘live off the land for a few month.’” | Chris is not physically fit for walking into such a dangerous environment. He seems a little crazy. | |
Chapter 2 Page 8 | “I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here.” “I am collecting berries close by and will return this evening” | One of these quote implied that he was scared and need help, but the other proves that he was trying hard to survive. | |
Chapter 3 Page 13 | “You could tell right away Alex was intelligent” “From things he said you could tell that something wasn’t right between him and his family.” | He was able to make an impression of intelligence while keeping thing secret. | |
Chapter 4 Page 18 | “He was wearing long shorts and his really stupid hat.” “He had a book about plants with him” | This shows that he could have not cared about appearance but only cared about knowledge. | |
Chapter 5 Page 21 | “One thing I remember is that he had a thing about socks, he always wore shoes without socks, just plain couldn’t stand socks.” “He was reliable, showed up every day.” | Chris must be a sort of strange person in the eyes of the people who knew him in Bullhead if he never wore socks, but he was a good kid anyway. | |
Chapter 6 Page 30 | “I thought he was too nice a kid to be living by that hot springs with those nudists and drunks and dope smokers” “God, he was a smart kid.” | He seemed to make a good impression of himself no matter where he went. | |
Chapter 7 Page 42 | “He was kind of shy at first.” “I got the impression that this Alaska escapade was going to be his last big adventure.” | This could show that Chris had trouble opening up to people but once he did he told them all kinds of things. | |
Chapter 8 Page 51 | “Alex is a nut in my book.” “Entering the wilderness ill prepared does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky.” | This shows that people seem to agree with each other that Chris should have thought his adventure through. | |
Chapter 9 Page 64 | “I’ve decided that I’m going to live this life for some time to come.” “The freedom and simple beauty of it all is too good to pass up.” | This in his letter to Wayne shows that he won’t give up his dreams. | |
Chapter 10 Page 72 | No quotes about Chris | ||
Chapter 11 Page 75 | “He was very to himself” “He wasn’t antisocial, but he could entertain himself for hours.” | This quote from Chris’s sister tells about what kind of person Chris was. | |
Chapter 12 Page 80 | “I thought his roommates parents were going to have a heart attack on the spot” “Chris walked in with a scraggly beard and worn out clothes, looking like Jeremiah Johnson.” | This quote from Chris’s father shows that Chris really did not care what others thought of him. | |
Chapter 13 Page 128 | “Chris was crazy about Buck” “That summer he disappeared he wanted to take the dog with him” | This shows that Chris did love something in his life. That might have been enough to bring him back. | |
Chapter 16 | “Alex didn’t come out and say too much at first.” “Said he didn’t he did not want to see a single person.” | This shows that Chris was a quite person and did not want the interference of other life. | |
Chapter 17 | “I want to see the bus.” “I want to see where he died” | This show that Chris was influential to people in their lives even after death. | |
Chapter 18 | “Happiness only real when shared.” “Extremely weak. Fault of pot. Seed. Starving. Great jeopardy.” | This shows that he liked other people’s psychology. The second shows that he was desperate in the end. | |
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