Major Figures

Chris McCandless/Alex Supertramp

Chris is the protagonist whose death is investigated by journalist and writer Krakauer in this novel. Chris is an entitled young man who decided to denounce materialism in favor of a simple life amidst nature. He chooses to be adventurous and travel across western US, often living in the woods with minimal supplies. He gives up his material possessions and burns his money before setting out on this journey.

At the end of this journey, he treks to Denali National Park in Alaska and spends the summer there. It is there that he finds an abandoned bus and makes it his home. He is later found dead due to starvation and possible poisoning from the seeds he had consumed. His friends and family remember him as a brilliant, well-read, and hard-working person.

Krakauer mentions that he received letters from readers who were divided in their opinion of Chris. Some thought he was a young man who was sick of the world’s hypocrisy and wanted to live by his idealism. Such readers found the story inspiring. There were also readers who blamed Krakauer for writing about a privileged and arrogant man who was responsible for his own tragic end.

Wayne Westerberg

He is the receiver of the last postcard from Chris. He is a kind man who provides Chris with a job at his grain elevator at South Dakota. Chris valued him as a companion.

Walt McCandless

Walt is Chris’ father who is a NASA engineer and an entrepreneur with a successful aerospace consultancy firm. His relationship with Chris is fraught with tension after Chris learns about his infidelity. He is deeply affected by Chris’ untimely death, as a result of which he gains a lot of weight.

Billie McCandless

Billie is Walt’s second wife and business partner. Chris’ biological mother, she is deeply disturbed by Chris’ death and can often hear his voice seeking help.

Ken Thompson, Gordon Samel, and Ferdie Swanson

They are the moose hunters who also happen to see the abandoned bus along with the Anchorage couple. Samel ventures in and finds the decomposing body.

Anchorage Couple

These are the first people to discover Chris’ body when they happened to discover the note stuck to the bus door and the rotting smell emanating from Chris’ decomposing body.

Butch Killian

Butch Killian also happens to be on the scene of Chris’s death with the Anchorage couple and the moose hunters. He is responsible for informing the troopers about Chris’ body.

Jim Gallien

Jim picks Chris up from the outskirts of Fairbanks and drives him to Denali National Park.

Jan Burres and Bob

A drifter couple, Jan and Bob take Chris under their wings and teach him a few important things about hiking and tramping. Even after leaving their place, Chris often sends them postcards. Jan is especially fond of Chris as he reminds her of her estranged son.

Ronald Franz

He is an eighty-year-old man who is a devout Christian and drives Chris from Salton City to Colorado. Chris advises him to give up his sedentary life and lead a nomadic life, filled with adventures. Chris’ death leaves Ron devastated and he becomes an alcoholic.

Gail Borah

Gail Borah is Wayne’s girlfriend who has a close friendship with Chris. She later becomes his confidante.

Nick Jans

Nick Jans is a writer and schoolteacher who hails from Inupiat village. He is bothered by Chris’s portrayal as a brave, young man in Outside magazine. He registers his discomfort with Chris’ character by writing a chastising letter to Krakauer. He mentions in his letter that, in his opinion, corresponding Chris was ill-prepared, arrogant, and selfish.

Gene Rossellini

He was a man who, like Chris, belonged to an affluent family but chose to live as a caveman for a decade on the shore of Prince William Sound. He stabbed himself in the end.

John Waterman

John Waterman was a young, prodigal mountain climber who died while scaling Mt. McKinley. His unpreparedness led to his untimely death.

Carl McCunn

Carl McCunn was an adventurer who got stranded in Alaska because he forgot to make arrangements to be picked up once his expedition was over. Having lost all hope of being rescued, he shot himself dead.

Everett Ruess

Everett Ruess was an adventurer in the 1930s who disappeared mysteriously around the crumbling canyons in southwest US. His mortal remains were not found, which led many people to believe that he continued living with a different identity.

Sam McCandless

Sam is Chris’ half-brother whom the Alaska State Troopers, aided by the help of Wayne, contact about Chris’ death. He breaks the news to Walt and Billie.

Sir John Franklin

He was a military man whose arrogance in the face of extreme natural conditions is considered to have led to the demise of 140 people during an Arctic expedition. The reason behind the failure of his plan to tame the land was the use of outdated military tools. His arrogance is in contrast to Chris’ curious and perhaps naive plan to live in harmony with nature. Chris’ never intended to tame nature and claim his superiority.