Comparing The Epigrams In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

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Leo Tolstoy said, “I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love”. In Jon Krakauer’s, nonfiction book, Into the Wild, the epigrams written by Leo Toltstoy and Wallace Stegner to introduce chapter 3, relate to the same feelings Chris McCandless had. Chris, a young man from a gifted family, gave up everything and ventured off to discover more in his life. McCandless’ thinking was similar to Leo Toltstoy writing, “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger” (15). Also, Wallace Stegner, and environmentalist also wrote “It should not be denied. . . that being footloose has always exhilarated us.” (15). Both of these quotes align with the mentality of Chris McCandless. Chris

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