The book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer depicts the true story of Christopher McCandless a young man who, being fed up with the ideals of society, decides to head into the Alaskan wilderness. He begins his journey by changing his name to Alexander SuperTramp and giving his life savings away to charity. McCandless's story of hitchhiking across America, which included surviving one hundred days in the Alaskan wasteland, he is eventually found dead on a bus. The book was later adapted into a motion picture directed by Sean Penn. The style of narrative in the film is differs from the book by Krakauer explaining McCandless's story in a non-chronological fashion. Krakauer starts with the "magic bus," he then reverts back to his days on the road, and includes some of Krakauer's own personal adventures in the wild.  The film, while still using flashbacks, is told in a linear progression and doesn't feature Krakauer's own adventure. The film uses wide camera angles of large, empty landscapes to display McCandless's isolation and distance from any form of society. His clothing in the film changes by getting filthier as the film progresses. The costume changes express his disconnection from society physically, as well as mentally. Close up shots and lightning express his inner emotions and connect McCandless to the audience. The soundtrack of the film, which is composed by Pearl Jam's lead singer Eddie Vedder, consists of a mellow acoustic sound. The style of his music sets a depressing and bleak mood to illustrate McCandless's loneliness in the wild. Krakauer and Sean Penn's different perspectives of McCandless's tale are told through McCandless's experiences with people. The difference between the film and the book is that the book focuses more on Alex's isolation and solidarity, which is expressed through Alex's ability to quickly leave others, while the film focuses more on Alex's relationships and ability to influence others. 

Krakauer's novel tells the story of McCandless, mainly through his journal entries and stories that were told by word of mouth. The book is told in reverse chronological order giving the reader the ending first, which is provided in the author's note. "In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters"( Krakauer 1). Although McCandless's epic adventure is important, his isolation from society and his stubbornness takes precedence in relation of the book. The words that stand out in the statement are "wilderness" and "alone". Since Krakauer includes that he came from a "well-to-do family," it changes the meaning of the text into that of a foolish act of a young boy who believes he can take on nature and win, rather than an individual who truly has a purpose. 

Sean Penn's version of the introduction depicts several journal quotes appearing in bold on the screen, while in the background the camera follows McCandless traversing his way through a snow-covered mountain. Eventually the line, in bold capital letters, "I now walk into the wild" appears on screen and the camera slowly starts to pan out, revealing a vast empty snowy terrain that lies before him. The song, "Long Nights" by Eddie Vedder begins to play on screen. As the sound of Eddie Vedder's acoustic and his dreary voice begin to play on screen, the audience sees McCandless struggle with his load of supplies as he hikes the terrain before him. Several fast paced shots show a beautiful Alaskan wilderness and the nature that has withstood the takeover of humanity. The camera pans close into McCandless face as he hikes up the snow covered hills, showing a man who looks determined enough to appear invincible. But as the camera continuously pans out, the outtake of his journey appears hopeless because all that can be seen are the vast mountain ranges and snow that overwhelms them. The introduction that Sean Penn depicts in the film is very bleak and melancholy. His inclusion of Eddie Vedder's music mixed with the long and close shots of McCandless adds a depressing mood. However, Penn keeps the hope that McCandless will be fine with the usage of bright lighting on close ups of his face. 

Krakauer continues the author's note, with the reader being introduced to Jim Gallien and McCandless. During the passage featuring Jim and McCandless, Krakauer furthers promotes the theme of McCandless's desire for solitude and his independence, but also shows how McCandless is more dependent on others then he believes he is. Jim offers to drive McCandless to his destination and encourages him not to continue with his journey. Jim warns McCandless about the government's regulations toward the land, to which McCandless simply brushes off. Jim gives McCandless some food and boots. Before Jim leaves he takes a picture of McCandless and the two disperse. McCandless's dependence on others is shown here when he ends up needing a ride from a stranger as well as some food and clothing. The interaction between Jim and McCandless contains some foreshadowing. Jim being a seasoned hunter can clearly see how much McCandless has underestimated the wilderness and even though he warns him of the dangers and the climate, McCandless's own arrogance ends up sealing his fate. The next chapter that follows shows a group that comes across a bus with a rotting McCadnless coming from within. "Neither of them had been in the bus, but they'd been close enough to notice a real bad smell from inside"(Krakauer 11). Krakauer goes from showing the healthy and determined McCandless from the previous chapter, to his horrid demise. Krakauer also displays irony in the beginning of this chapter, by showing how desperate McCandless was to be alone and in the end he is found by a group of people. The group also notices an S.O.S sign that reads that contains more irony and shows the change in McCandless's character, "I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?" ( Krakauer 11). In this note Krakauer shows a contrast from the McCandless before the wilderness and the McCandless after the wilderness. McCandless goes from being a courageous, independent, and determined young man to a helpless, dependent, and weak. The words "all alone" are ironic because what started off as McCandless dream has become his nightmare, as in the S.O.S note the phrase is not one of relief but of fear and helplessness. Krakauer's non-linear narrative is present in these first two chapters by starting at the beginning of his entry into the wilderness in the first one then progressing through to the second chapter, which shows the reader his demise.

Sean Penn's film doesn't show the scene between Jim and McCandless, but instead shows McCandless setting up camp in a remote bus and surviving. Several shots feature a beautiful alaskan landscape that is filled with snowy mountain ranges, sun, and rivers.  McCandless is happy that he is exiled from society, with the beautiful scenery, and the thrill of survival. Sean Penn depicts McCandless as being in utter bliss in the beginning of the movie and shows him enjoying himself by keeping a diary, surviving off the land, and reading. The song played during this scene has a very upbeat tone and enhance the joy that McCandless is experiencing. When compared to Krakauer's opening of McCandless's story to Sean Penn's, Krakauer shows a more realistic and bleak beginning where Penn's contains more hope and aspiration.

Krakauer in the novel attempts to figure out what happened to McCandless and find the source of his death. The ending of the book depicts Krakauer venturing out to the Alaskan wilderness and finding McCandless's bus. Krakauer eventually shows that it was a type of mold that killed McCandless. Krakauer analyzes what possible situation McCandless could have been in and even points out McCandless's flaws. Krakauer writes that if McCandless had a map he would have been fine. "If McCandless had possessed a U.S. Geological Survey topographic map, it would have alerted him to the existence of a Park Service cabin on the upper Sushana River, six miles due south of the bus, a distance he might have been able to cover even in his severely weakened state"( Krakauer 133). The text shows Krakauer's frustration with McCandless's arrogance and naivety. He points out a small item that could've easily saved his life. Krakauer theorizes McCandless's death in a bleak and uneventful manner. "Then he crawled into the sleeping bag his mother had sewn for him and slipped into unconsciousness. He probably died on August 18, 112 days after he'd walked into the wild, 19 days before six Alaskans would happen across the bus and discover his body inside"( Krakauer 136). Krakauer displays a realistic and gritty look at the way McCandless dies. Krakauer again emphasizes McCandless's solidarity and that since he made the journey alone; it's fair that he died alone. 

The ending that Sean Penn directed for the movie shows a struggling and weak McCandless in his bed staring up at the sky. The scene is incredibly intense as his heartbeat is synced with the fast-paced editing. This is done to promote suspense and anxiety. The camera quickly shows the sky then McCandless's face over and over. McCandless dies with a smile on his face with tears slowing emerging from his eyes. As he dies sunlight shines upon him and he thinks about his family. Sean Penn's ending to the movie is most certainly a spiritual one. The light shining on McCandless face as he dies is a representation of God's forgiveness and McCandless feeling accepted, seeing the faces of all the people who he had helped find their own way.

The novel and movie Into the Wild each possess their own perspectives on McCandless's experiences in nature. The film leans toward a more optimistic and spiritual approach, showing McCandless not as pioneer or voyager, but a regular young man who longs for acceptance from his family. Sean Penn does this by depicting McCandless as a savior for others and focusing on his relationships with random strangers and encounters.The book, by Krakauer, is more of a detailed account of his travels and tells a more real and gritty tale. Krakauer does this by including McCandless's story while he was alive and after his death, by showing the effect that his death had on the people he met. Krakauer isn't trying to glamorize McCandless's life, but instead shows the downside of trying to isolate yourself from others. Krakauer's novel focuses more on McCandless personal isolation from society and himself. McCandless determination to live out in the wild isn't a tale of a pioneer, but more on the lines of a stubborn young man who underestimated the people around him and the natural environment. 

