Moose

The moose that McCandless shoots and then, heartbreakingly, fails to preserve stands for his relationship to the wild in general. Moose meat could prevent McCandless from starving to death. Because of his hubris, however, he has not prepared adequately for the enormous task of curing the flesh and ultimately fails at it. The consequences are fatal.

Mountains

In Into the Wild, mountains function not as scenery, nor are they especially significant geologically or historically. Instead, a mountain is an obstacle to be conquered, a way of testing one’s capability and character, especially in the chapters of the book where author Krakauer recalls his own youth.

Rivers

Many rivers run through Into the Wild. Like deserts and mountains, they test Christopher McCandless’s survival skills. Unlike other natural formations, it is a river that defeats McCandless and kills him. Because he has not predicted that the river separating the “Magic Bus” from civilization will swell with snow-melt, he cannot cross it in late summer, when he intends to leave the woods. And because he (intentionally) lacks a map, McCandless is unaware of options for fording the raging waters.

Yellow Datsun

The yellow Datsun is emblematic of Christopher McCandless’s genuine disinterest in material things. Americans value their cars. McCandless leaves his in the desert.