Was Chris Mccandless A Transcendentalism

Was Chris McCandless a true transcendentalist? Transcendentalism is a system developed by Immanuel Kant, based on the idea that, in order to understand the nature of reality, one must first examine and analyze the reasoning process that governs the nature of experience. Influenced by romanticism, Platonism, and Kantian philosophy, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity, and its members held progressive views on feminism and communal living. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were central figures. In Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into the Wild, McCandless is viewed as a transcendentalist. The characteristics of transcendentalism is individual vs society and the connection between human and nature.

“So many people live in unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation” (57). Chris McCandless was determined to not be one of those men, he strived for a life in solitude, away from the demands of society. For that reason he went on an epic transcendental experience that took him from Mexico to Alaska. Along the way, he met and made an impact on peoples’ lives, people like Wayne Westenberg and Ronald Franz. Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild discusses Chris’s journey, and makes the reader question Chris’s reasons for going out into the wild. 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.

"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. I had the opportunity to go to Mexico and visit the Yucatan rainforest and this lead me to be able to explore nature and feel the peaceful impact it can have on someone 's life.

In the beginning, McCandless starts his adventure by cutting himself off from all the human connections he had. He severs all ties from his family, including his sister which whom he was previously very close to. He burns his social security card, changes his name, and decides to travel across the country. Throughout his journey, Christopher often accounts for his parent’s wrongdoings for the reasons why he wanted to run away to Alaska. He subsists with a minimalist lifestyle and is disappointed in his parents’ behaviors and their materialism. In a letter penned to Wayne Westerberg, McCandless writes, “My days were more exciting when I was penniless” (Krakauer 33). He gets a thrill out of not knowing what will come his way each day. Being “penniless” furthers the sense of uncertainty. He even argues that, “Nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future” (Krakauer 40). In a way, everyday is a new adventure for Chris. This is why not only did he

The transcendental movement, which reached the height of its popularity in the 1830’s and 1840’s, inspired many people to live essentially, without unnecessary material possessions, and to practice civil disobedience by breaking laws that one feels are unjust. Chris McCandless, Alexander Supertramp, is one of the most well known people in recent history inspired by transcendentalism because he, just like Henry David Thoreau, took the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson and put them into action. When Chris fully applies the principles of transcendentalism, he enhances his life by giving him the opportunity to stop pretending to be someone that he is not and pursue a more authentic Chris McCandless.

Chris McCandless didn’t have it easy growing up in his household. His parents would always fight which he didn’t want to be in that house and around that environment. McCandless one day had enough of he drama and set out on a journey. His journey would impact his life, as he was out of society and in the wild. His journey would lead to his death, but seemed like he achieved by living in the wild other than in society. Chris McCandless seeked to find his own truth in life by going into the Alaskan wilderness. Even though Chris’s journey turned fatal, he should be admired for his courage on going into the wilderness and seeking his values, where most other people won’t end up in a wilderness for their beliefs.

Chris McCandless, a unique man, embarked on the journey of a lifetime. During his adventure, he broke away from the constraints of society and he learned what is important in life. I admire what Chris was trying to accomplish by heading “into the wild”, and I can see parts of my beliefs in his. My experiences are different from McCandless’ experiences in as many ways as they are similar.

Chris McCandless was a peculiar young man who explored the wilderness of Alaska. Many people would consider him courageous as he died doing what he loved, on the other hand some feel he was foolish and unprepared. Inspired by literature and seeking escape from his rocky relationship with his family, Chris wanted to live off the land in the cold Alaskan winter. Jon Krakauer explores what led to McCandless’s death and explains the actions that led him into the wild. In my opinion, Chris seemed more foolish than courageous, since he was escaping his problems back home and was highly unprepared for what he was tackling.

After reading Krakauer’s Into the Wild and Henry David Thoreau’s exerts from Walden, we can see a deep connection between Christopher McCandless and Thoreau’s transcendental beliefs. Both Chris McCandless and Thoreau show transcendentalism in their actions of self-wisdom, differences, and liberation. Chris McCandless life choices in Into the wild reflect the transcendental beliefs of Thoreau’s Walden.

There are many different ways to describe and characterize a person, but Chris Mccandless was unique in several ways. Some may say he was a nutcase, an outcast, or even a sociopath, however, I strongly disagree. He was something so much more.

4 years after Christopher Johnson McCandless death in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992, Jon Krakauer beautifully depicts every moment of the tumultuous times leading up to Chris’s demise. Fed up with ill intentions of his peers and society, McCandless departs for the dark corners of the country. Since McCandless held nature close to his heart, and preached against the object-oriented society he lived in, Chris can be classified as a contemporary transcendentalist.

A few people of the society may think that Christopher McCandless was insane for his actions and the consequences never came to his mind. I believe that Christopher McCandless traveled into the Alaskan wilderness for a variety of reasons, but the evidence shows two main ones. Although McCandless was able to survive for just about 4 months in the Alaskan wilderness, it is only acceptable to claim that his philosophical beliefs and his bad rebellion of youth and risk-taking tendencies was the cause of his departure. McCandless was was known for showing the signs of being a Transcendentalist at his last days. Connecting your spirit to nature is something that Transcendentalist believe in doing. I think what McCandless did was inspired

Chris McCandless. Who is he? I guess you could say he is the pure definition of a “transcendentalist”. A transcendentalist is a person who lives a completely different type of lifestyle than your average person, they believe in self reliance, they will always have a strong connection with mother nature, they’re individualists, and always searching for the meaning of life. McCandless went on a journey that no normal american would have thought was sane. He completely dropped put a pause to life and set off a journey to Alaska. He burnt his money. didn't say anything to his family, and just completely gave everything away. The book, Into the Wild tell’s McCandless’s epic story. But some folks don't agree with the way his death was treated.

There have been a lot of characters who have ventured off into the world to find their purpose in life. John Mallon Waterman and Carl McCunn are just a few of the many who have taken part in this quest. Waterman was a mentally unstable hiker who died trying to hike the mountains of Denali. McCunn was another soulful explorer who photographed wildlife, but committed to himself that he would not be like the people that surround him on a daily basis. He would rather see through his decisions.

Many people desire to make drastic changes to their lifestyle in order to bring joy to their lives. In the movie Into the Wild, Chris McCandless is tired of his life and dreams of a lifestyle that embodies transcendental themes such as self-reliance and living alone in nature, but when he starts living this lifestyle and truly embodying these themes he learns that this transcendental life is not as fulfilling as a life surrounded by people who care about him. Throughout his journey he goes out of his way to make himself reliant on only himself by scarcely using money. Chris romanticizes nature and dreams of living serenely in the isolated Alaskan wilderness. However, once in the wilderness he struggles to survive once he is completely self-reliant