Nature Is Real Life Society could stress us with fake desires but, “In the woods, we return to reason and faith.” (Emerson 243) In the book, Into the Wild, John Krakauer documents Chris McCandless, fighting to find truth in the nature away from society. Ralph Waldo Emerson's views of finding truth in nature include leaving society, noticing life around yourself, and understanding that nature is filled with truth. Chris McCandless is driven by the transcendentalist ideal of finding self-truth in nature.
Firstly, Into The Wild written by Jon Krakauer is one of the best book I have read this year. Throughout the novel, I can see Chris McCandless is brave enough to do things that most people will not even think about doing as he is “looking for more adventure and freedom than today’s society gives people” (). From the beginning, even though his parents, Billie and Walt McCandless set him up for an impressive, promising life, Chris gives up this promising, successful future and spins into a journey filled with idealist literature and danger that skews his world view. This is due to the modern society offers that does not appeal to Chris, who just wants a different life that many have themselves. He sees the influences society puts on our lives
Into the Wild Essential Questions Essay Many people have different opinions of Chris McCandless. After Chris died in Alaska’s wilderness, Jon Krakauer wrote an article about Chris’s life. Some Alaskan natives wrote letters to Krakauer stating that Chris was an ignorant fool for believing he could live off the land without essential supplies. But they never knew what he actually desired.
Into the Wild is a point of view experience in the travels of Chris McCandless. There is an up lose and personal encounter of all of Chris’s characteristics and decisions. Chris was very unorthodox and had a different way of taking on obstacles along his journey. He did not have many friends, always keeping to himself all through college at Emory University.
Transcendentalism is a philosophical and literary movement that emphasizes themes of nature and self-reliance while going against society and materialism. Many transcendentalists including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are the creators of this movement impacting many others. Chris McCandles, the young and fearless main character, in Jon Jrakauer’s text Into the Wild, follows these transcendental leaders shown in his actions. Chris finds himself exploring throughout North America and reaching his goal to make it to Alaska. Like Thoreau, McCandles loves nature and finds it his “congratulation”, “greets everyday with joy”, and “follows his genius”.
During the Transcendentalist movement, Henry David Thoreau was a leading transcendentalist whose work focused mainly on nature and adventure. Walden, or Life in the Woods is an exceptional example of a story based on adventure. In Thoreau’s account of his life at Walden pond, he first states, “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.” Through this quote Thoreau explains that he was tired of the complexity of normal life and desired to go on an adventure to live simply. Additionally, Thoreau states, “I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…,” which again reveals his motivation for new life by adventure and simplicity.
"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.
Into The Wild portrays a man who went on a fatal unforgettable journey through the alaska wilderness. Chris McCandless was a man with great courage and the ability to live on his own made him more of a hero going on his fatal journey. Many would say he was foolish or not thinking right, but that is not the case. The case here is simply a man with courage wanting to fulfill is beliefs through his journey. One may ask what is courage.
In the short story, “Death of an Innocent” by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless travels into the Alaskan wilderness with the intention of relying completely on himself. In the true spirit of transcendentalism, McCandless travels to escape the bounds of society and to remove himself from a materialistic world. Many argue, however, that Chris McCandless was not a transcendentalist because he travels to exotic lands as a means of avoidance, but actually, Chris McCandless is the epitome of a transcendentalist. Transcendentalists, however, rely on themselves and nature to survive and do not depend on material items. Transcendentalists romanticize individualism and believe that intuition is the best guide through life.
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
Being materialistic isn’t such a bad thing, but some people take it to the extreme by either wanting too many things or having less than enough to survive. In the book “Into the Wild” Chris McCandless does not feel that materialism is important. When Chris tries to be less materialistic he takes it to the extreme and tries to live off of the wilderness with only a 10 lb bag of rice and a .22 caliber rifle. In the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakaur, Chris McCandless is very anti-materialistic and gives away all of his things, proving that having a lot of possessions was not something he valued. Materialism is a big issue for Chris.
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 was a tremendous story which Shaun Callarman did not have many positive things to say about Chris McCandless, the main character. He went on this adventure to find out what life is all about in his own eyes. He wanted to see how different living in the wild really was compared to society because he was not satisfied with his living arrangements and household. Shaun’s quote says that he thinks “Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant at the same time. He had no common sense, and he had no business going into Alaska with his Romantic silliness.
Into the Wild is a personal tale of Chris McCandless’ journey as he runs away from home to try and live in the Alaskan wilderness. The book follows the story through the eyes of the author as he investigates the mysteriousness of Chris’ life through the eyes of those he came in contact with and the journals left behind. However like every book adapted into movie there are slight differences and characterizations throughout the story that aren’t expressed deeply enough or seen in a different light. Into the Wild is no different.
Henry David Thoreau is one of the primary promoters of the transcendentalist movement and has been inspiring people to take on the transcendentalist lifestyle ever since the mid 1800’s. Mccandless was an admirer of Henry’s philosophy but he wasn’t as fully immersed in his work and ideals as Thoreau was to his own. His intentions were not as closely aligned to the movement as Thoreau’s and the difference between these icons are clearly visible. Self reliance is one of the most significant components of the transcendentalism movement that Henry David Thoreau contributed to in his literary career. “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.” - (taken from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden”).
