Into the Wild x Transcendentalism
While growing up, many young adults realize that they do not agree with what their family’s lifestyle represents and decide that they want to go off on their own and live differently. Similar to this, the main character in the movie Into the Wild, Chris disagrees with most of the things his parents stand for and how they live. Chris McCandless gets in his car after his college graduation and leaves a society that he dislikes to rely on his instincts while traveling the country all the way to Alaska, meanwhile he continuously objects people obsessing and focusing on materialistic things, showing that he embodies transcendentalism. After disappearing, Chris decides that he wants to go to Alaska and live off
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When describing his parents’ success with their business, Chris expresses his opinions on money. “But by the time the company actually made its first million, the careerism and money seemed only to embolden their blindness.” Not only does Chris resent money, but he resents his parents and their ignorance. The McCandless family was flawed. The family was unhappy and Chris’ parents were absorbed in money and belongings. Chris verbally addresses this in the movie at his college graduation dinner when his parents tell him their graduation present. “‘Why would I want a new car? Datsun runs great. Do you think I want some fancy boat? Are you worried what the neighbors might think?’” Chris was upset with his parents because they wanted him to have a nicer brand of car and used the excuse that his car was a “piece of junk,” saying they didn’t know when it would explode. In his opinion, it was a fine car and got the job done. Chris did not want a flashy car to show off to the neighbors. Even though Chris liked his car, towards the beginning of his travels, Chris was in a flood and he ditched his car in the desert. Chris ditches his car in the desert to purposely live a life without unnecessary objects. A year later, after his final preparations for Alaska, Chris hitchhikes to the wild. When he was getting out of the car, he accidently left some of his belongings in the car. …show more content…
As Ralph Waldo Emerson, a philosopher who helped lead the transcendental movement, said in his essay Self Reliance, ““...the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plate, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what they thought.” This quote embodies transcendentalism and describes the necessity to be your own person. Chris McCandless is an independent man whose ideology is based off of transcendentalism, but he takes it to an extreme degree to which he believes in. Most people who are tired of society would not take off and live in the wild, but Chris believed in his ideas and stuck to his gut. Another famous transcendentalist is Henry David Thoreau. Chris read his books and quoted him often. In the piece Why I went into the Woods, Thoreau writes “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Similar to Thoreau leaving his lifestyle to live in a house slightly out of town, Chris changed his life so he could live, and eventually die knowing a lifestyle that made him feel free. Another quote by Thoreau that represents transcendentalism and Chris’ drastic lifestyle change is, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say,
“Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist” (Emerson). McCandless defied society by, living in the wild and rarely cared about possessions. Chris McCandless is a true transcendentalist because he existed off the land in Alaska, the west coast, Mexico and he did not want to have any else but happiness in life; he found this through his experiences in wilderness. In Emerson’s Self-Reliance it states, “Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of ever on its members.”
This proves Chris’ values having a car rather than the car itself. He doesn’t depend on material things to make him happy. Chris writes a letter describing his journey as being “No longer poisoned by civilization.”
See now Chris loved that old car. It took him everywhere. So for him to just drop it in the desert meant he was determined, but why is he so determined to leave his old life. well Chris grew up in an upper class family, Money was never an issue. He was the first child of three.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”- Henry David Thoreau. Transcendentalism is an American philosophy that revolves around self-reliance and independence, commonly in nature, a Transcendentalist wants to find the true meaning in life. I believe that Chris McCandless was a Transcendentalist because he was able to leave his whole life behind and take on a minimalist lifestyle while having a strong relationship with god. However, I believe that I am not a Transcendentalist, but simply an adventurer.
Society’s Creation Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that protests culture and society. Toward the end of Chris McCandless’s life he started to show many signs of a transcendentalist. Unlike Thoreau Chris was not in it for his love of nature, but to free himself from a corrupt world and a bitter society. " So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future." (Krakauer p. 57) McCandless and Thoreau both idealized the American wilderness and shared the same thought that living a less materialistic lifestyle would positively affect ones being.
In the novel, Chris did some dangerous things, such as kayaking across a country and not taking nearly enough supplies, he insisted it was all part of the journey though.
Chris keep saying that he does not want all those “things” from his parents. Obviously, Chris does not care much about material wealth and therefore he is too sick and tired of the society and his surrounding which
McCandless’s self-reliance is a big part of identifying him as transcendentalist. In the short story, “Death of an Innocent”, Chris says, “I've decided that I'm going to live this life for some time to come. The freedom and simple beauty of it is just too good to pass up.” McCandless feels that life should not be wasted doing what you do not love, and shows this by traveling and living off the land every chance he gets. Transcendentalists take in all of what nature has to give them by becoming one with it; like McCandless does throughout the story.
The characteristics of transcendentalism is individual vs society and the connection between human and nature. A subject of Into the Wild is individual vs society because Chris McCandless tends to desire to chase freedom and be alone rather than with people. In the last letter ever received from Everett Ruess, to his brother Waldo on November 11th, 1934. He explains that he wants to live in isolation.
That is also when the controversy between his parents elevated. Some may agree that Chris’s relationship among his parents was the explanation to his rapid decision to travel. The book states Chris did not even tell his parents about his interest of leaving. In fact, the book just elaborates by using details on
Into the WIld Transcendental Connections Ralph Waldo EMrson founded the idea of transcendentalism which gained popularity from the eighteen-thirties though the eighteen-sixties. Into the Wild ,written by John Krakauer, is a biography about the infamous Chris McCandless who in April of 1992 hitchhiked to Alaska and traveled into the western wilderness in an attempt to construct a new life for himself. Unfortunately after one hundred and thirteen days Chris sadly passed away from eating unsafe food and later died inside of the bus they occupied. In this story Krackauer clearly displays how Chris McCandless’ actions during his time in Alaska followed the four transcendental ideals of importance in nature, self-reliance, simplified life, and
Chris always hung out with himself and spent time by himself, he was good at everything he did, and never needed anybody's help. As Chris grew older, his friend stated that he was never seen with a girlfriend, and instead of going out to parties or bars, he would talk to homeless people about their lives and give advice along with food. And when he grew into an adult, Chris wrote a letter to Carine on page 64, explaining how he's going to divorce his parents: “I’m going to let them think that I’m “coming around to see their side of thing” and that our relationship is stabilizing. And then, once the time is right, with one abrupt, swift action I’m going to completely knock them out of my life.”. This letter likely also represents another reason for Chris'
As people age they change their mentality, views on society, and thoughts on how they want to live in the future. It is evident that Chris McCandless the protagonist from Into the Wild, went through this stage where he was stuck, tired of his parents, tired of school, grades and maybe even his friends, so he decided to just leave. According to Emerson from Nature, “The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.” This quote means that the youth are more innocent, and are instantly open to new options. Chris challenges Emerson
In the 19th and 20th century transcendentalism was a new and exciting topic that caused tremendous controversy. In the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless was a man with a very unique character. In more detailed words Chris McCandless was a transcendentalist. His actions and moods played a big part in his life, from beginning to end. He was a transcendentalist because of his self-reliance, confidence and non-conformity.
Into the Wild portrays freedom in a sense that Christopher McCandless wants to venture out into the world, even though he had it all. Chris changes his way of life as he gives all of his personal items away as well as; $25,000 from his bank account, his car, and eventually his life. Reasons being that he leaves and does this, is due to the fact that he wants to be on his own and does not want people to depend on him as well as him having the feeling of having to require the obligations of the people around him. Chris had his next two years of college already paid for him by his family. Chris then goes on to tell his parents “I think I’m going to disappear for a while.”