Perspective

Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild, makes his perspective on his subject matter clear from the initial Author's Note. Krakauer's carefully researched book presents plenty of evidence to indict its subject, Chris McCandless, as a foolish greenhorn who met his end due to willful negligence and a possible death wish. Yet, Krakauer does not believe McCandless was negligent or suicidal. Based on some shared common ground, Krakauer sees a kinship between himself and young McCandless. Krakauer does believe that McCandless was headstrong and napve, but he points out that many young people share these qualities. Had McCandless survived, concludes Krakauer, he would likely have matured in his perspective and come to realize that running away from civilization would not solve his problems.

Yet by presenting a balanced perspective, Krakauer indulges the reader's right to make up his or her own mind about McCandless. To that end, Krakauer...