Although Krakauer's book Into the Wild and Penn's movie version of the book tell the same story, both mediums share Chris McCandless's adventures using different strategies. The book includes insight into Chris's life using interview material and letters McCandless writes to the people he met along his journey. Krakauer also gives the reader an idea of what McCandless thinks and feels by sharing his highlighted passages in some of his favorite books. Penn's movie however tells McCandless's story using filmic elements that give off feelings or bits of information to the viewer. Krakauer uses personal information about McCandless in the form of journalistic material to provide the reader with insight on his journey while Penn develops the story using lighting, setting/stage, and camera distance. 

Throughout the book Krakauer shares interviews from those who had met McCandless along his journey. Learning about how others thought of him as well as learning about how McCandless acted and spoke better helps the reader understand who McCandless was. This information also helps the reader understand some of the reasons as to why McCandless made his decisions to detach himself from society and human relationships. McCandless's second manager at McDonald's in Bullhead City mentioned that McCandless worked at a slow pace, that he never understood why she was on his case as if he were in his own universe (Krakauer 40). This statement contributes to the idea of how different McCandless's mindset was from that of other people. He was not into the fast moving society that revolved around jobs and money. He wanted to live in a world where he could do things his own way and at his own pace. This is one reason why he wanted to live off of the land in Alaska. By including interview material such as that of McCandless's managers Krakauer pieces together McCandless's personality for the reader. This information also provides reasoning behind McCandless's choices he makes throughout the story.

Krakauer includes letters McCandless wrote to those he met along his way to interpret the relationships that were made throughout his journey to Alaska. The letters show that McCandless did in fact care about everyone he met, enough to keep them updated on his journey and his well being. Despite McCandless's desire to part from relationships and attachment he wanted to help others. He cared about their happiness. Although he would not stay around long he had a large impact on those he met. McCandless's letter to Ron Franz updates the reader on his progress and plans but also tells a lot about the importance of McCandless's friendship with Ron Franz to him. McCandless gives advice to Franz on ways he believes he should change his life. The advice he gives says a lot about how he thinks and what he values as well. McCandless valued freedom, adventure, and nonconformity. He wanted Franz to venture out because he wanted him to live a better and happier life.  The letters McCandless writes tells of each friendship he formed in his story but also tells about him as a person. 

Krakauer also provides highlighted sections of books that were found with McCandless's body. By doing this Krakauer shows the reader where a lot of McCandless's ideas concerning his life choices came from. These highlighted sections also tell about what McCandless was searching for along his journey. Krakauer reveals McCandless's goals, ideas, and even personality traits through the highlighted passages. One passage from Solitude: Return to the Self by Anthony Storr refers to the lack of mature personal relationships creative people tend to make. It also says how early trauma steers an individual towards finding fulfillment in isolation (Krakauer 61). This passage describes McCandless perfectly. He has a creative mind that leads him to want to live unlike the rest of society. His creativity causes him to go against conformity. His creativity and trauma resulting from his parent's marriage cause him to veer away from attachment. Just as Storr describes, McCandless believes he is better off in isolation which inspires him to take his journey to Alaska. This passage explains to the reader why McCandless believed he was the way he was. Other passages Krakauer uses work together throughout the book to provide insight on McCandless's inspirations. 

Penn uses the lighting in the movie to create a mood so that the viewer may also feel what is being felt in each scene. He also uses lighting to make the scene feel as real as possible. Since majority of the movie is filmed in an outside setting the lighting is mostly natural. For example, when McCandless and Franz are sitting on the mountain and Franz says that when you love, God's light shines through you. Then the sun comes out from behind a cloud and beams down on them. The bright beam of sunshine gives the viewer a sense of warmth and happiness that goes hand in hand with Franz's line about love, forgiveness, and God's love. Another example where lighting is used to tell McCandless's story is at the end when McCandless is lying in the bus dying, gazing at the bright sun. The camera then shows him running into his parent's arms and hugging them while again he stares at the sun. The lighting is bright and warm. The warm sunshine makes the viewer feel comfortable and warm just as McCandless did as he imagined running into his parent's arms. As he dies he is at peace as he watches the sun, letting it shine down on his face. The bright lighting at the end also hints to the viewer that McCandless is near his death referring to the saying that when you die you head towards "the light".  

Setting and stage were also used to tell McCandless's story in Penn's movie. In all of McCandless's happy, trouble free moments there is a pretty scenery with a sunny sky. While all of his moments of struggle were shown in a rough terrain in rain or dull skies. For example, as McCandless frolics in the ocean with Jan he has not a care in the world. He is on a beautiful beach in the warm sunlight having a good time with his new friends. The viewer feels happy watching this scene as they see McCandless smile and play in the blue waves. This scene is also one that marks the near beginning of McCandless's journey which is when he is most excited. He is feeling free from his past life while also looking forward to his experience to come in Alaska. Towards the end where McCandless is struggling to survive the lighting is dim and dull. What was once beautiful Alaskan land under sunny skies is now just plain wooded area under cloudy skies. The land he once viewed as beautiful exciting is now just inconvenient and frustrating to him. 

Camera distance is used frequently throughout the movie to create emphasis on important factors Penn wants his viewers to pick up on. Close camera distance makes the viewer feel personal with characters by showing how they are feeling. Alternating the cameras distance puts emphasis on aspects such as facial expressions. This specific technique is used when McCandless is leaving the Slabs. As he walks away from Tracey after telling her goodbye the camera zooms in on her face. Her face projects sadness and loss as she watches McCandless leave. Similar pain is shown on Ron Franz's face when McCandless leaves him as well. The camera is focused in closely on his face as a tear rolls down his cheek. The viewer feels sad watching Franz and McCandless part ways. Both Franz and Tracey only knew McCandless for s short period of time. By showing how sad they are when McCandless leaves tells how great how quickly McCandless made a large impact on others. In scenes where McCandless is on an adventure free to do whatever he wishes, the camera is zoomed out showing all of McCandless's surroundings. An example of this is the scene where he is first dropped off in Alaska. The camera shows McCandless from a distance standing before the land, admiring what lies before him. The land looks beautiful, untouched, and enormous compared to McCandless. This foreshadows his adventure in a sense that although he is excited to explore he has no idea what lies before him. He is only a tiny mark on the wild Alaskan terrain that is ultimately going to eat him whole.

Different techniques are used in different mediums to tell a story. Each technique appeals to a certain sense or works to create some type of feeling. They also work to provide information that is important to the story. Both Krakauer and Penn use elements within their mediums to piece together McCandless's story in specific ways. In the book the reader learns about McCandless's journey from a number of techniques three important ones being interviews, letters, and highlighted passages. In the movie the reader is able to see McCandless's journey with their own eyes but they also feel things along with McCandless and other the characters due to Penn's use of lighting, setting/stage, and camera distance. 

