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Examples Of Transcendentalism In Into The Wild

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The concept of transcendentalism has been displayed in American literature since the establishment of the notion came about by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the late 1830s. Since the idea’s formation, authors, such as Jon Krakauer, have used their writing to hint at their application of spiritual ideology. In his story, Into the Wild, krakauer uses protagonist, Alex McCandless, to physically represent the embodiment of transcendentalism. The philosophy of transcendentalism is thoroughly apparent in Christopher McCandless’s personal philosophy because of his non-conformity to societal standards of living and his strategies of self-reliance. To begin, McCandless’s refusal to conform to society’s ‘’norms” connects to Emerson’s idea of not conforming to normal civilization. After being given a ride by Jim Gallien, McCandless offers him a watch and other personal belongings. Gallien questions as to why McCandless no longer feels obligated to own one [a watch], to which he is answers with “I don’t want to know what time it is. I don’t want to know what day it is or where I am. None of that matters.” (7.) Because he chose to relieve himself of constituency within the community, McCandless no longer has to endure the burden of keeping up with human theories …show more content…

McCandless perfectly embodies the ideal transcendentalist in his spiritually-free state of mind and his ability to survive solely by his own rules of life. This philosophy came about because of the belief of new era starting - one where everyone has their own original relationship with the universe and its natural inhabitants. In today’s society, transcendentalism is important because it helps people to have a sense of originality as well as connect more spiritually to their earthly

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