Index Rhetorical analysis of the literary devices used in "Into the wild" Adding the lens of pathos to allow the reader to connect with the characters Conclusion Works Cited The Story of Chris McCandless has captivated American audiences for years. While it is unknown what exactly happened during his trip to Alaska, there is a lot of speculation. In searching for evidence to determine the events that occurred during his journey, Jon Krakauer developed a compelling theory in his book "Into the Wild." Through the use of investigative journalism, he was able to capture Chris' character and motivation for venturing into the Alaskan bush. To convince the audience of his theory about what happened to McCandless, he uses a variety of rhetorical strategies and devices. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Rhetorical Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Into the Wild” Krakauer appeals to the logos strategy by providing reasoning using the evidence he had acquired, from testimonies to documents. For example, he had claimed that the advanced books Chris had read could fuel his challenge to society; he had a passion for the works of Jack London, an author with anti-capitalist and pro-nature views that reflected Chris's beliefs. Ironically, as Krakauer stated, “McCandless conveniently overlooked the fact that London himself had spent only one winter in the North and had died by his own hand.” In addition to his interest in antisocial views, his motivation to distance himself from humanity may have increased based on his experience; an entry in his personal diary from his time in Mexico had described how he had managed to live on a "five-pound sack of rice and whatever marine life he could pull from the sea" for more than a month. Jon Krakauer pointed out that since Chris survived the harsh conditions of the sea, he might have thought that he could feed off the land of Alaska. However, McCandless's plausible prediction turned out to be wrong as conditions in Mexico bore no resemblance to the frigid climate of the north. Therefore, by using logic to draw conclusions, Krakauer was able to present enough evidence to demonstrate why McCandless developed the motive to venture to Alaska. Adding the Lens of Pathos to Allow the Reader to Connect with the Characters In addition to using logic, Krakauer logically appeals to the audience's emotions to make them feel a connection to McCandless' story. It mainly used sympathy to show how Chris' death affected not only his family but also the people he met on his journey. For example, Ronald Franz, an elderly man whom Chris had inspired to take a trip of his own, was deeply shaken by the news of his death; in response he had turned into an alcoholic and "hoped to kill him". The author also amplifies the audience's sympathy by using the storytelling method; while it is natural to sympathize with a family's loss, Krakauer's telling of the McCandless family's backstory in chapter eleven gave them enough characterization to make the reader feel a heightened sense of attachment to them. Furthermore, for audiences to believe Krakauer's version of Chris' story, they had to understand his character. People were skeptical of Krakauer's theory, as noted when he originally published his article regarding his account of what had happened; most readers had dismissed it, 42(2), 81-102.