Dharma Bums Lesson Plan

In author and mountaineer John Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, Christopher McCandless says that happiness is only real when it is shared. What do you think the characters (and particularly the narrator) would have to say about this?

While strong discussions would be enriched by references to the actual story Into the Wild is based on, such background knowledge would not be necessary. Strong responses should consider the spectrum of emotions the characters experience, from good to bad, and how these emotions seem due to being together or even separate (like when they walk apart in silence, or when Ray follows the deer path, as well as when he derives pleasure from watching...