Into the wild is a novel about a young man who makes the decision to donate all he’s money to charity and take up a life on the road. Along his journey he encounters many obstacles, some that he can not overcome. In this essay we will be comparing and contrasting between the novel (written by Jon Krakaure) and the film (directed by Sean Penn) the main differences we will be comparing are between how the family of Christopher McCandless are portrayed and come across in the novel and in the film.

one of the main differences between the novel and the film is the way Chris is presented to act towards he’s parents, in then novel, a day after Chris’s graduation in tells us in the novel that Chris buys he’s mother gifts for mother’s day, although earlier in the novel a point was made by Carine McCandless that Chris announced that he would not give presents to anyone or receive and presents from anyone. in a letter from Chris he stated that he believed that if he accepted gifts from he’s parents they would think that they had brought he’s respect, he said this in response to the fact that he’s parents attempted to buy him a car. The fact that he gave he’s mum, Billie McCandless, presents for mother’s day made him seem like he was softening up and becoming less individualistic, he is intermittent in sticking to he’s ideals of not being materialistic and not accepting or giving gifts.

in the movie however the is no reference made to the fact that Chris was kind to he’s mother and brought her mother’s day gifts or the letter Chris sent he’s sister, Carine, about the incidence if he’s parents trying to buy him a new car as he’s graduation gift and offering to pay for he’s university fees if I he didn’t have enough left in he’s collage/university funds. In the movie the only scene with anything to do with he’s parents buying he’s respect in in the restaurant scene after the graduation and even then not much is mentioned about Chris’s morals. In the movie Chris is presented to act only negatively towards he’s parents. This is a clear difference between the novel and the film.

Secondly Chris’s mother, Billie, is presented in the film as a self-conscious materialistic woman who is all about the image. In the celebratory graduation diner she is the one out of the two parents to tell Chris that they want to buy him a new car and refers to he’s car as a Junker making comments about it blowing up. The point is emphasized by the camera shots during the dinner scene; at one point the camera focused on Chris’s car in the parking lot surrounded by cars that are above the standard of Chris’s car and make he’s care look worse than it is and make Chris’s family, mainly he’s parents uncomfortable. another point of emphasis is a group of rowdy college student rush into the restaurant and make their way to the bar noisily close up shot on the faces of the families showing that Chris’s parents disapprove of the disturbance of the atmosphere. Chris on the other hand hade a big smile on he’s face, these two camera shot depict Chris as outcast from the rest of the society wanting to be more like the car or the students than the rest of the parking lot or the other people in the restauraunt. one other point in the film is that chris throughout the time he is out tramping has few notisabal problems with he’s clothing but when you notise is when he goes into the city fill of well dresed people once again comparing him with everyone elce. in the film billie is also presentesd as in a way non caring unless it includes money as she offered to buy him a new car and to pay for hes univrcity although when walt, chris’s father, starts getting agitated about the fact that chris didnt want a new car she stated that it was “no big deal if he wanted to keep he’s old car”. anoter aspect when billie is judgemental and cant help but say something is at the dinner when she mentions how chris walked on to the stage and made a scene out of himself. this again proves that she cares a lot about chris but also cares a lot about the way he presents himself.

in the novel billie McCandless knited chris a sleeping bag although it is not clear when she actually knitted the sleeping bag it shows that she cares beyond just material possessions as she didnt buy him one but instead crafted him one with her own hands. The fact that Billie knitted chris a sleeping bag showes that she reald did care, not just about he’s appearance but about he’s well being and comfort also. This dos not come across in the film until they find out that chris is missing.

Another thing that the film fails to show us is that chriis kept the sleeping bag he’s mother knitted for him, and that he took it to alaska and died inside it. Although we know that chris dosent like to be wasteful the fat that he didnt buy a sleeping bag and used the one that he’s mother knitted for him shows that he care more than he is portrayed to in both the film and the novel.

I the novel chris seems to care about carine a lot he is made to seem very affectionate towards hes sister doing many things for her and partaking in many activities with her. The story howerver mentions no instance in which chris tried to get into contact with Carine after he left and went off tramping. In the film however we see much less of chris’s love and affection towards carine, although at one point in the film chris stops at a pay phone to what seems like call he’s parent but hesitates and gives hes money away.this was not mentioned in the book so is is unclear weather it is infact true or fabricted to further depict chris in an negative light.