Moving beyond wilderness? An ecocritical analysis and discussion of how Jon Krakauer challenges the wilderness trope in Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air.: Thesis statement: In Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer systematically examines, challenges, and pushes beyond the wilderness trope as it is traditionally known in the US.
Author
Olesen, Fie Søndergaard
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-30
Pages
69
Abstract
This thesis examines the “wilderness trope”—a recurring cultural idea about untouched nature that shapes the American imagination—through three books by Jon Krakauer: Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air. Using an ecocritical approach (a literary analysis that focuses on nature and the environment) alongside contemporary narrative theory, I show how Krakauer both draws on and challenges the traditional American wilderness trope. The framework combines Garrard’s concepts of wilderness, Muir and Adam to represent traditional wilderness values, and Cronon’s critique of romanticized wilderness with DeLancey’s newer ecological understanding to suggest that older notions no longer suffice. The analysis finds that Krakauer moves beyond the traditional trope, but differently in each book. In Eiger Dreams, a collection of essays, he systematically explores multiple interpretations of wilderness; he expresses respect for conservation while acknowledging that commercialization and fatal risks are part of the reality. Into the Wild is a nonfiction biography of McCandless’s search for a more pristine, traditional life in the Alaskan wilderness; Krakauer critiques his choices and highlights a confusion of myth and reality that makes the trope unreflective. Into Thin Air recounts the 1996 Mount Everest disaster; Krakauer links wilderness to beauty and awe but ultimately describes it as dehumanizing, turning people into lesser versions of themselves. He criticizes the stakes and conditions on the mountain as a distortion of traditional wilderness values. Overall, the study shows that across all three books Krakauer presents a complex wilderness trope that challenges and moves beyond the traditional U.S. understanding.
Dette speciale undersøger “vildmarkstrope” – en tilbagevendende forestilling om den uberørte natur, som præger den amerikanske forestillingsverden – gennem tre bøger af Jon Krakauer: Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild og Into Thin Air. Med en økokritisk tilgang (en litterær analyse med fokus på natur og miljø) og moderne fortællingsteori viser jeg, hvordan Krakauer både bruger og udfordrer den traditionelle amerikanske vildmarkstrope. Teoretisk trækker jeg på Garrards begreber om vildmark, på Muir og Adam for at beskrive traditionelle vildmarksværdier, samt på Cronon, der problematiserer romantiserede forestillinger om vildmark, og DeLanceys nyere økologiske forståelse af vildmark, for at vise at ældre begreber ikke længere rækker. Analysen viser, at Krakauer bevæger sig ud over den traditionelle vildmarkstrope – men på forskellig vis i hver bog. I Eiger Dreams undersøger han systematisk forskellige fortolkninger af vildmarken; han udtrykker respekt for naturbeskyttelse, men erkender også, at kommercialisering og dødelige risici er en del af virkeligheden. Into the Wild er en biografisk fortælling om McCandless’ søgen efter et mere rent, traditionelt liv i Alaskas vildmark; her kritiserer Krakauer hans valg og peger på en forveksling af myte og virkelighed, som gør vildmarksforestillingen ureflekteret. Into Thin Air skildrer katastrofen på Mount Everest i 1996; Krakauer forbinder vildmarken med skønhed og ærefrygt, men beskriver den overordnet som dehumaniserende, der gør mennesker til mindre udgaver af sig selv. Han kritiserer vilkårene på bjerget som en forvanskning af traditionelle vildmarksværdier. Samlet viser analysen, at Krakauer formidler en kompleks vildmarkstrope, der udfordrer og overskrider den traditionelle amerikanske forståelse.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]