Into the Wild

Does Krakauer actually know what McCandless was feeling at that point? How can he tell? What evidence does he have? Do you think he is right?

On March 14, Franz left McCandless on the shoulder of Interstate 70 outside Grand Junction and returned to southern California. McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved was well—relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. He had fled the claustrophobic confines of his family. He’d successfully kept Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg at arm’s length, flitting out of their lives before anything was expected of him. And now he’d slipped painlessly out of Ron Franz’s life as well. (55)

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I think much of Krakauer's descriptions are rooted from Chris's diary and his exhaustive research into Chris's life. Still, Karkauer has stated many times that he felt a kinship with Chris or at least the adventurous restless spirit that Chris had. Krakauer could be channeling a little of this emotion into his narrative.