Within the contents of a variety of different biographies, there are multiple similarities between the conventions typically used. However, there are also multiple differences between them in their characteristics that also distinguish these works from each other. The author's effectiveness in using these conventions correlates with the reader's enjoyment of the book even in this challenging and interesting genre, all handled extremely well in the biography Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer. Though told through a somewhat disjointed but captivating timeline, Krakauer chronicles the life of Chris McCandless during his liberating journey across North America, from Chris' childhood to the day he is found dead in the Alaskan wilderness. Throughout the pages of his book, Krakauer conforms to the typical conventions of a biography by using original sources and deviates from these conventions by including a unique structure in his chapters and an explanation of his own life experiences to further enhance the reader's experience. reading Chris' story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, the book conforms to typical biographical conventions by retracing Chris' steps with original sources. For example, after interviewing Jim Gallien for information on Chris, Krakauer is able to recap Gallien's first encounter with "the hitchhiker [Chris McCandless] standing... with his thumb up, trembling in the gray dawn of Alaska” before pushing it further into Alaska. deserted, never to be seen alive again (Krakauer 3). In order to build more credibility as a biographer, Krakauer is practically required to interview Chris' family and the people he met on his journey to be more holistic and thorough in his research and writing. Additionally, Krakauer consults the writings of Chris McCandless himself, incorporating his letters and journal entries throughout the book. For example, Krakauer includes the letter to Wayne Westerberg in which Chris writes of his finally arriving in the Yukon Territory, proclaiming "I now walk into the wild" (3). Being the title quote, Krakauer places it at the beginning of the first chapter, emulating Chris's bold tone and establishing an eerie and unsettling mood for readers throughout the rest of the chapter and even the rest of the book. Of course, Krakauer's typical use of primary sources and materials to gather information for this biography enriches the reader's enjoyment as well as his own credibility as a writer. Contrary to its similarities to other biographies, Krakauer's book departs from typical conventions while also creating a unique structure within its pages. In particular, relatively simple maps appear before the beginning of the various chapters, such as the one placed before chapter nine, which depicts the surrounding area of ​​Davis Gulch around the border between Arizona and Utah (86). By including this map, readers can easily visualize the content of the chapter as they receive a basic understanding of Chris' path thanks to Krakauer's unique structural convention not seen in most other biographies. In addition to the map on the previous page, epigraphs from Chris's letters and other writers' works also serve as an equally unique syntax to begin each chapter, complementing any image Krakauer aligns with it on the previous page. One particular epigraph that highlights this is from Everett Ruess, in which he writes “as for when I visit civilization, it will not be soon… I have not grown weary of nature.