...Christopher McCandless, the author of Jon Krakauer's book "Into the Wild." has been widely regarded as a transcendentalist. Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes the importance of individualism, nature, and self-reliance. This essay will argue that Chris McCandless fits into being a transcendentalist. Firstly, Chris McCandless embodies the transcendentalist value of individualism. Throughout his journey, he seeks to find his true self and rejects the expectations and constraints of society. He leaves his privileged life behind to live a simple and self-sufficient life in the wilderness. He does not conform to societal norms, nor does he seek approval from others. This pursuit of individualism is a key tenet of transcendentalism,...
Words: 491 - Pages: 2
...Chris McCandless, Jon Krakauer, and Henry David Thoreau all believe in the central idea of Transcendentalism. After reading Into the Wild by Krakauer and some excerpts from Walden, we start to gather that Chris bases some of his actions and how he lives based on Thoreau’s ideas. Chris and Henry both embrace to not stay on a particular path, to embrace the idea of wanting more in life, and simplicity. Both men’s life choices are examples of Transcendentalism. One of the first examples of transcendentalism is when Chris embraces to not stay on a beaten path. For example, Chris sends Ron a letter telling him to have radical change in his life, to do things that he has never done. McCandless says, “ I think that you should make radical changes in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things in which you may previously have thought of doing”…(Krakauer 56). McCandless wants Ron to experience the life of nomads, Chris’s belief to not stay on a set path, to do his own thing. Thoreau says, “It is remarkable how easily and sensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for yourself …” (Walden). This quote relates to McCandless’s belief to not stay on a set path, to live the extreme, and to not remain doing the same thing for a lifetime. Not having a...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
...In the book Into the Wild and Thoreau’s passages from Walden, John Krakauer shows how Thoreau is important to Chris McCandless and how he was influential to McCandless. Chris’ story in Into the Wild tells how he is driven by Henry David Thoreau’s Transcendental beliefs. Transcendentalism is a religious and philosophical movement that began in New England in the mid-nineteenth century. It was formed by the ideas of American Democracy. Both Thoreau and Chris McCandless grasp Transcendentalism through concepts such as simplicity, self-reliance, and to live an honest life. The first Transcendentalist belief that Chris McCandless follows is to simplify his life. For example, Chris brings a very small amount of food with him on his expedition because...
Words: 585 - Pages: 3
...Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless, and Henry David Thoreau embrace the 19th century philosophy of transcendentalism. After reading Into the Wild by Krakauer and Thoreau’s excerpts from Walden readers start to see similarities between McCandless and Thoreau though the transcendentalism theme of nature and social reforms. One of the first transcendentalism beliefs the McCandless follows is nature. For example, McCandless does not always take the easy paths. McCandless says “All hope collapse! The canal does not reach the ocean, but merely peters out into a vast swamp’’ (McCandless 35). McCandless wants new ideas, places, people, and experiences in his life. He does not want the same life every day. McCandless wants to get out of his confront zone and in the world. This directly relates to the idea of Thoreau. In Walden, Thoreau says, “I did not wish to take the cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world” (Thoreau). What Thoreau is saying in the quote above is he rather go take a grown up trail nobody has been through in a while than a well know hiking trail, he wants to get out into nature and see what life has in store just like McCandless. In the two quotes quoted above both men in each of the quotes they both wanted the same thing to get out into nature and experience the wildest adventures, not...
Words: 543 - Pages: 3
...Chris McCandless was only 22 years old when he decided to commence his excursion to Alaska. He met people on the way, but he never stayed in one place for long. Is anyone who does not agree with society a transcendentalist? McCandless does not conform to society but does not prove to be a transcendentalist but rather a spontaneous idealist. The movements do, however, bounce off each other in many ways. Transcendentalism, started in the 1830s, was best known as a theoretical movement with the belief that your knowledge based on life and nature was more important than social status and knowledge based on social class. Idealism is best defined as impractically alluding without thinking about the practicableness of the situation. Transcendentalists are well known for their general beliefs of living simply, knowing your own value, and appreciating nature. Idealists are people who believe things should be the way they see it, instead of how reality truly is. Idealism is a...
Words: 1428 - Pages: 6
...Chris Mccandless lived a life that many have dreamed and wished for. He decided to just pack up and live off the grid. He didn’t find the need to stress himself with things others stress so hard over; for example money. He was seen as a coward for running away from his problems but in others eyes he was seen as one of the greatest transcendentalist. Chris Mccandless had qualities of Transcendentalism by believing in living closer to nature, relying on self-trust and self-reliance, and found dignity in manual labor. Chris Mccandless believed living closer to nature to avoid the stress of society. Chris had many problems with his family, especially his father, because of this he felt the need to run away and show his family he could live on his own. He found nature as a comfort spot he could run to when he didn't want to deal with society anymore. “I do not think he ever hung out with any employees after work or anything. When he talked, he was always going about trees and nature and weird stuff like that. We all thought he was missing a few screws.” (Krakauer 29). Chris found comfort in nature and loved talking about it. He wanted to help everyone understand the importance of nature....
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
...Christopher Johnson McCandless, also know as “Alexander Supertramp” to those he connected with while on the lam, was a hiker that that went into the wilderness with little food and equipment hoping to find a life of solitude. On this thrilling journey in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Chris displays himself to be a hero of authenticity and transcendentalism, and at times even a fool. Towards the end of his life, he truly morphed himself from a college graduate, to a man that lives and strives off the land known as “Supertramp.” Christopher was a genuine boy throughout the course of his life and always saw the positive in negative situations. His bubbly personality was contagious as he mesmerized everyone with his charm and sincereness. His authenticity is show throughout the entirety of the book, but a single quote represents his mentalities and philosophies, “The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun” (Krakauer 57). He lived and died by this mind set, which exemplified his heroism. Christopher knew there was a intense physical challenge ahead of him in order to achieve the emotional enlightenment he set out searching for; this is another prime example that shows the true hero of authenticity. Most people would be deterred from this expedition because they deem...
Words: 940 - Pages: 4
...Transcendentalists tend to view the world in a much more positive manner, and in the end, this innate optimism can skew their perception of their surroundings, giving them a false sense of security. Obviously in most cases, like the aforementioned scenario, having a realistic view of the world is ideal, and unfortunately, McCandless fell victim to transcendentalism’s faulty idealism. Chris did exactly what the naturalist most likely wouldn’t attempt – to survive in the barren lands of the Alaskan wilderness. Regrettably, Chris’s idealistic view of the world ended his life. Rational thinking, however, does not prevail in every situation. While naturalism is favorable in instances requiring unbiased assessment to avoid ill fate, it cannot confidently explain intangible concepts like values, morality, or the conscious mind. In these situations, transcendentalists rely on their belief of a higher law or power to guide their understanding of the incorporeal world, which they believe transcends “…beyond what they can see, hear, taste, touch or see” (Transcendentalism, an American...
Words: 1439 - Pages: 6
...Chris McCandless in this story was an outstanding and very self reliant person. He wasn’t like normal children, he didn’t want to go out and play with his friends and he never wanted to stay inside. He would have rather been climbing or getting ready to prepare for a big objective in front of him. When Chris McCandless went to school he wasn’t always the kid that would be talking in class or trying to show off, he was there to get his education and get out. He never really wanted to do anything else when he found out about hikes, and climbing. In this story it really ties in with “Nature” because all Chris McCandless sees is the beauty within nature and he loves every minute he’s outside. In the spring of 1990 Chris graduated from Emory University...
Words: 400 - Pages: 2
...types of essays, you have to cite your sources/evidence. You can do that by putting quotation marks or citing the author or source’s name somewhere in the body paragraph. Body paragraphs for Rhetorical Analysis: Body paragraph 1 and 2 should include a topic sentence followed by a piece of evidence, in this case, a cited quote. After inserting the piece of evidence, you should explain what rhetorical strategy or technique the author uses in that specific example....
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...expressed is the element of self-reliance. All four authors convey self-reliance as a desire of one to accomplish feats without assistance from parents, and that it helps to give a sense of importance and independence. Civil Disobedience, Self-Reliance, Into the Wild, and “It’s All On Me” all include self-reliance as a vital element. In Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, the importance of self-reliance is stressed, stating that “Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step forward to obtaining it.” Thoreau, in this quote from his story, calls for self-reliance, not self-reliance for one man, self-reliance as a nation. He believes that if the people will do right, rely on themselves rather than the government, then the overbearing government would not have to be as powerful. Thoreau believed in the motto, “The government is best which governs least.” He trusted the people to be reliable enough to run a government which did not have to govern much. This trust he puts into the people of the newfounded United States is an example of early transcendentalism....
Words: 505 - Pages: 3
...Krakauer shows how transcendental Chris was throughout his life, he had a big personality with many traits but transcendentalism being the main one. Chris illustrates how he was an effective transcendentalist through his inspiration from Thoreau and London. The examples from the story show how much Chris fits into the title of being transcendental. Each trait goes along with some part in his life and that shows that Chris was an effective transcendentalist. The main characteristic Chris shows was his passionate love for the outdoors, he was inspired by Jack London to travel to Alaska for the fascinating views, and so he did. When Chris first disappeared, he knew he wanted to go to Alaska because of the beauty. Nature had become important to him. He had read the passages Jack London and other transcendentalists had wrote about, and wanted to experience that feeling of being alone with nature. One of Chris’ friends from his cross-country team shared that Chris “was born into the wrong...
Words: 718 - Pages: 3
