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Transcendentalism In Into The Wild By Chris Jakauer

587 Words3 Pages

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”. Nature and its surroundings is what catches Chris’s attention and where he is able to find himself. Living off the land and not having to rely on others or technology is his plan after he graduates school. All two years that Chris is exploring and taking in the beauty of nature and learning new experiences of how to survive, he is not in contact with his family saying they did not care about him. Billie, Chris’s mom, finally realizes why Chris did this, she states “What a pretty place…Chris must of loved it here…I can see what appealed to Chris”(Eplilogue.202). To McCandles …show more content…

Experiencing new things and meeting all sorts of different people helps make his experience worthwhile. Towards his last couple days of life, Chris expresses his happiness and states, “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may god bless all”(17.199). Learning and experiencing new things is what makes Chris so happy to be exploring Alaska on his own and doing what he always wanted to. Just as Thoreau says everything one accomplishes out of their own interest, “that is your success”. No one can stop Chris from doing what he wants, and because he has always dreamed of going to Alaska, this is his one chance at finally being

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