Examples Of Transcendentalism In Into The Wild

Into the Wild; the Realist Account of a Transcendentalist’s Story

Into the Wild is a realist work of literature that tells the tale of Chris McCandless, a man who lived his life in accordance with transcendentalist philosophy. The novel itself, Into the Wild, can be classified as a realist work, for its honest and truthful portrayal of one man's life. It includes both the good and the bad, with candor and simplicity. In its pages is the telling of Chris McCandless’s life, and adventure. It reveals that McCandless is a transcendentalist, who rejected the typical societal life for one that revered self reliance, nature, and human connections.

The novel is written by Jon Krakauer a reporter and author, who crafted the book from sources ranging

From the get go, he admits that Chris’s fate and adventure hit home for him, saying, “I won’t claim to be an impartial biographer. McCandless’s strange tale struck a personal note that made a dispassionate rendering of the tragedy impossible(2).” The initial disclaimer would make it seem that the book would be one oozing with melodrama and emotions, romantic to say the least. Despite his statement, he spun spun the tale in a realist fashion. He stated the facts of the situation; what happened to Chris, quotes from those he knew, anecdotes of similar stories, and a timeline of how the events unfurled. It would be false to say that no emotions were felt in reading the book, and therefore it is not realist. Realism, includes all the realistic components of life, the happy and sad emotions, not just factual information. Had the story been romantic or transcendentalist, it would have painted Chris a noble hero and his journey as an entirely admirable endeavor. Yet the book showed a person, who was

He like other transcendentalist, thought for himself and was aware of how society could negatively influence him. His parents, sister, and teenage friends retell stories that illustrate this. Unlike most teenagers, Chris would spend his weekend nights buying meals for those less fortunate and talking to them. His view on careers as, “Demeaning twentieth century inventions(114),” sounds like it could have come straight from Thoreau or Emerson. Another transcendentalist trait he possessed was his respect for nature, obviously demonstrated by his extended expeditions in the American southwest and