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Essay Comparing Mccandless And Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Both Chris McCandless and Ralph Waldo Emerson are against modern society’s way of living and believe one should live their life in a non-conformist lifestyle driven by the awe of nature. Emerson wrote an essay called “Nature”. There he talked about the relationship one should have to God through nature, and was a popular role model of the transcendentalist movement. Emerson was anti-governmental, believing one cannot own nature or the land. He also writes about how he feels welcomed in nature, more so than he does in a village or society, favoring the natural land over the land humans created. He urged adults to see the world through the way a child would adore it, in a purer loving way. This goes against many Americans’ viewpoints on life, then and even now. He also mentions that he believes nature is a kind force to everyone, and is never cruel. On the other hand, Chris McCandless’s life is documented by the book Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer. Within the book, Chris’s past is documented by his inability to conform. He was expected to go to college, but after his experience freshman year summer travel, he …show more content…

This statement contrasts to Chris McCandless because he had exposed himself to the harsh conditions of the Alaskan nature. The conditions were so cruel to him that they led to his death, proving that Emerson is ignorant to the dangers of nature’s conditions. Emerson may have lived a survival lifestyle in the wilderness, or he may have wrote about his experience with nature outside of his home’s walls. Either way, the natural forces he speaks about were probably extremely thrivable conditions, even if he didn’t live in them. Nature is not always kind, and sometimes fights against humans such as natural disasters might. Chris McCandless chose to walk straight into those dangers, knowing that the beauty he’s committing his life to is not always

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