Ethical Appeal In Into The Wild

Chris McCandless’ campaign to the Alaskan wilderness results in his eventual death. Jon Krakauer describes this tale in Into the Wild, eloquently painting McCandless’ life as the man he writes about ventures out alone. Krakauer uses dramatic irony, sophisticated syntax, and exposition to establish ethical appeal as he tells Chris McCandless’ journey into the wild.
Firstly, Krakauer paints the reader’s image of McCandless by sharing the memories of those who met McCandless on his journey. Jan Burres describes McCandless as “a really good kid. We thought the world of him. When he left, we never expected to hear from him again, but he made a point of staying in touch. For the next two years Alex sent us a postcard every month or two” (Krakauer