Style Analysis #1: Writing Style

Krakauer executes Into the Wild in a straightforward style, objectively presenting the events of McCandless's life. His language is concise and easy to understand, making his writing accessible to readers. While many biographers tend to create imaginary-even if likely-scenes and events to make the account read more like a narrative, Krakauer instead opts for a journalistic approach to his writing.

For the majority of the book, he employs an informative tone, using friendly language and logical analysis in order to make McCandless's story as clear as possible. He constructs a body of evidence to support all of his claims by interviewing friends and family of McCandless, and anyone he came in contact with while on the road; by providing background information on the different settings throughout the book; and by incorporating selections from McCandless's own journal.

Through this extensive research, Krakauer appeals to ethos and logos. He acknowledges counterarguments but elaborates with just enough detail to disprove them without rambling unnecessarily, making his arguments all the more persuasive. Since some aspects of McCandless's final weeks will remain a mystery, this type of in-depth research proves especially helpful in filling in gaps with the most likely scenarios.