on Krakauer’s “Into the Wild”

topic:
One of the themes in Into the Wild is the relationship between fathers and sons. Analyze the relationship between Chris and his father, and also between Chris and other key male figures he meets on the road. As you plan, consider: Did Chris have what you would consider a typical father/son relationship? How does his father’s previous, secret “bigamous” life factor in? Do you think Chris’s frugality and self denial on the road was subconscious self punishment (similar to children of divorced parents who blame themselves for their parent’s problems), and/or do you think Chris was trying to punish his father? What roles do Westerberg and Ronald Franz play?

some guidelines:
1 Read (and re-read) the book carefully, taking detailed notes as you go
2 Formulate a clear, specific thesis that pulls together your analysis and indicates the overriding purpose and direction of the essay.
3 *Illustrate and support your ideas with specific examples from the book —quotes, summaries, paraphrases, specific scenes in the book.

most important, this is not research pape