Monday, August 29, 2016

Are there any examples of logos appearing in Into The Wild?

If by logos you mean argument by logic or the use of facts to prove a point, then there are plenty of examples in the book. Take, for instance, Krakauer’s argument about how Chris died in Chapter 18. He spends several pages and interviews two experts on the poisonous properties of wild potato seeds and how eating them could have caused Chris’s death. Krakauer’s argument is persuasive to the extent that it provides a credible theory about what happened to Chris. Much of Krakauer’s book is based on reporting he has done—specifically, interviews with people who knew Chris and the McCandless family. This kind of primary source work can also be thought of as a kind of fact-based form of argumentation. While Jim Gallien’s impressions of Chris in chapter 1 are purely subjective, the fact is that these are his impressions as told to Krakauer. It’s important to understand, however, that using facts in argumentation doesn’t automatically make it an example of logos. Krakauer’s account of his ascent of the Devil’s Thumb is factual, but the purpose of the story is to argue that his own experience might give him some insight into Chris and to suggest that his own wilderness credentials make him someone his reader can trust when it comes to writing about the wilderness. In this sense, the use of facts has an emotional element (empathy with Chris) and works to establish Krakauer’s credibility.


The author uses several examples of logos, or an appeal to logic, to show how woefully unprepared Chris McCandless was for his trek into the interior of Alaska. For example, the author cites Jim Gallien, an experienced woodsman and hunter, who reports that McCandless was carrying far less food and gear than what was needed for the kind of trip he was going on (page 4). This is also an appeal to ethos, or credibility, because Gallien is an outdoors expert. On the next page, the author includes more logical details to show that McCandless was headed for disaster and to illustrate the cause of McCandless's demise. The author writes that the only food McCandless had in his pack was a ten-pound bag of rice, and he also writes that McCandless's cheap hiking boots were not insulated or waterproof.
The author uses a series of logical facts to show that McCandless's preparations for his trip into the bush were almost farcically inadequate. For example, Krakauer writes on page 45 that McCandless was doing calisthenics each morning to get ready for his trip (hardly the right preparation for his trip). This compilation of logical facts shows that McCandless was not prepared for his journey into the wild and that he was very naive about the conditions in Alaska.


The way that I interpret this question is that it is asking if any company logos appear in the book.  I can provide two specific times when Krakauer comments on a specific logo within Into the Wild.
The first described logo is the logo found on Chris McCandless when he was discovered dead in the bus.  When McCandless was found, the Alaska State Troopers could not identify who he was.  McCandless didn't travel with any kind of identification.  McCandless happened to be wearing a shirt that had the logo of a towing company in Santa Barbara.  The law enforcement officers then contacted the towing company in hopes that they knew McCandless.  
The second specific logo mentioned in the book appears on a jacket being worn by Walt McCandless.  The jacket's logo is for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  
If by "logos," you mean logic, then the best example from the book would be chapters 8 and 9.  In those chapters, Krakauer tries to convince readers that McCandless is not some singular crazy guy.  Chapter 8 focuses on Gene Rossellini, John Waterman, and Carl McGunn, and chapter 9 focuses on Everett Ruess.  During these chapters, Krakauer attempts to establish similarities between McCandless and the four men.  The arguments are presented in a logical format with supporting evidence, and those chapters did quite a bit to change my opinion of McCandless himself. 

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