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McCandless shares his dream of going on a “great Alaskan odyssey” to almost everyone he meets on the road. Chris’s starry-eyed regard for the Alaskan wilderness represents the dream of escape, discovery, and adventure.
Alaska Quotes in Into the Wild
The Into the Wild quotes below all refer to the symbol of Alaska. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 5
Quotes
[Chris] was so enthralled by [Jack London’s] tales, however, that he seemed to forget they were works of fiction, constructions of the imagination that had more to do with London’s romantic sensibilities than with the actualities of life in the subarctic wilderness.
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Get LitCharts A+‘I’d thought he’d be fine in the end…he was smart. He’d figured out how to paddle a canoe down to Mexico, how to hope freight trains, how to score a bed at inner-city missions. He figured all of that out on his own, and I felt sure he’d figure out Alaska, too.’
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Alaska Symbol Timeline in Into the Wild
The timeline below shows where the symbol Alaska appears in Into the Wild. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5 - Bullhead City
...but he refuses. She finally persuades him to accept some knives and long underwear for Alaska. Jan later finds the long underwear tucked under the car’s seat. Though angered by Chris’...
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Chapter 6 - Anza-Borrego
...who share a story from Outside magazine about a hiker who froze to death in Alaska. Ron realizes it is “Alex.” Grief-stricken, he denounces God and takes up drinking
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Chapter 7 – Carthage
Meanwhile, in Carthage, McCandless takes every opportunity to talk about his Alaskan voyage by seeking out the advice of experienced hunters. Westerberg tries to persuade McCandless to...
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...says goodbye to Gail Borah, who senses that she will never see him again. From Alaska McCandless sends postcards to Wayne, Jan Burres and Bob, bidding them a final farewell before...
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Chapter 16 - The Alaska Interior
On April 15, 1992, McCandless leaves Carthage for Alaska, hitching a ride with RV driver Gaylord Stuckey along the way. Reluctant to help “Alex”...
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