Vocabulary in Into the Wild

A journey made to a place of special personal significance, undertaken with a sense of deep purpose or devotion, not necessarily religious.

To search widely for food in the wild, gathering whatever edible plants, berries, or animals can be found in the surrounding environment.

A way of living in which a person produces or gathers only enough food and resources to survive, with nothing left over to sell or store.

To roll about or lie in mud or water; here used to describe large animals such as moose moving through boggy terrain.

In this context, a historic rush of people into a remote region in search of gold or other resources, lending its name to the trail McCandless followed.

Remarkably large or impressive in extent or degree; used to describe quantities or feats that go far beyond what is ordinary or expected.

Traveling from place to place without a fixed home or permanent job, moving on whenever the mood or necessity demands.

Loose fragments of rock, gravel, and debris worn away by erosion and deposited by water or wind; also used broadly for any accumulated waste or rubble.

A storehouse built to hold grain; in this text refers to ancient stone structures built by indigenous peoples to store food in canyon walls.

To descend a steep rock face or cliff by sliding down a rope that is anchored above, controlling the speed with friction devices or the body.

A deep, open crack or fissure in a glacier or ice sheet, often hidden by a thin snow bridge and extremely dangerous to anyone crossing on foot.

A steep, narrow gully or channel on a mountain face, often filled with snow or ice and used as a climbing route.

To secure a climbing rope around a fixed point or through a device so that a falling climber is caught and held safely.

Excessive pride or self-confidence that leads a person to underestimate danger or ignore wise counsel, often resulting in disaster.

Choosing to live without comfort, pleasure, or possessions as a matter of principle, embracing hardship as a path to purity or self-knowledge.

Feeling or showing deep regret and a desire to make amends for past wrongdoing; here describing a mood of self-punishment and atonement.

Pale, weak, and sickly in appearance, suggesting illness, exhaustion, or severe malnourishment.

A naturally occurring chemical compound found in certain plants that has a powerful effect on the human body, sometimes toxic, sometimes medicinal.

A state of extreme physical and mental sluggishness or inactivity, as if the body has nearly shut down due to starvation, cold, or illness.

Food or provisions, especially dry stored food; used in the text to refer to the meager supplies McCandless had to sustain himself.

A deep feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from boredom or lack of purpose; a restlessness that ordinary life cannot satisfy.

Constantly traveling or moving from place to place rather than settling in one location; used to describe McCandless's roaming lifestyle.

A hidden or stored supply of food, equipment, or other goods set aside for later use, especially in a remote wilderness location.

A mass of rocks, gravel, and debris that has been carried and deposited by a glacier, often forming ridges at its edges or front.

The process of improving oneself morally, intellectually, or spiritually through study, experience, or reflection.