Into The Wild follows the story of a young man named Chris McCandless.  The story is told through the letters he sent on his journey and interviews of the people he met.  He was heavily influenced by Henry David Thorough and Jack London.  He would often paraphrase and quote them; saying things like “You are wrong if you think joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living.” He is saying that joy does not solely come from human relationships.  That joy is all around us, in nature, and all we have to do to experience joy is to break free from society, very much like Thorough.