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Examples Of Transcendentalism In Into The Wild

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There are many common themes that run through transcendentalism literature. In the book Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless goes on a journey any transcendentalist author would be proud of. The theme threaded throughout the book is that of following an individual's heart to make decisions. McCandless lived his life in an unusual way that veered away from society norms, and surprised most of the people he encountered. One such person was Gallien, “This [the Stampede Trail], Alex announced to Gallien, was where he intended to go. Gallien thought the hitchhiker’s scheme was foolhardy and tried to dissuade him...But he wouldn’t give an inch” (5-6). This demonstrates Alex’s commitment to his heart’s wants regardless of the logic against it, and once his heart made the decision to go to Alaska he would have to follow it. He achieved happiness and found a place he felt at home with. Chris …show more content…

“Sometimes he tried too hard to makes sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often” (18). His personal identity is tied so much with his childhood and his parents. Chris was unable to comprehend why his father had done so many wrong things. His heart led him to search for the answer throughout his adventures, making him the man he was. “He intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, one in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experience. To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life” (22-23). His adventures were a fresh start, a clean state to his flawed existence. His identity now solely what his heart dreamed up. He was very successful in doing so, and thus a new identity was fabricated Alex Supertramp. Overall Chris McCandless ultimately meant to leave the evils in the world, guided by his heart he created a new life for himself regardless of the

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232 Words | 1 Pages

At the end of Chapter 3, Krakauer says, “Driving out west of Atlanta, [Chris McCandless] intended to invent an utterly new life for himself... He was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny” (Krakauer 23). These assertions are believable as McCandless cut off his past by creating a new identity for himself and ceasing communication with his family. McCandless introduced himself as Alex to all of the people he met on his odyssey and he rarely spoke about his past before hitchhiking. McCandless introduced himself as “Just Alex” (Krakauer 4) to Gallien and as Alex when he worked for Wayne Westerberg in Carthage, South Dakota.

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700 Words | 3 Pages

The effects of one's action can tarnish the well being of any parent. How can any parent ever revert back to a life of normalcy, when it comes to devastating news about their children? How effective are modern day transcendentalist? Are we lead to believe that self-centering, highly intelligent transcendentist are experience and consciousness of their surroundings. Or are these transcendentist suffering from something greater?

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857 Words | 4 Pages

He ends up being found dead in an abandoned bus in Alaska. McCandless exhibits many thoughts of transcendentalism throughout his adventures. The first example is when Chris and his friend would go in the bad part of town and buy food for the homeless. He and his friend Eric Hathaway once told their parents they were going downtown to party, but instead McCandless drove Hathaway and made

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765 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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866 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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988 Words | 4 Pages

"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.

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692 Words | 3 Pages

Transcendentalism is a philosophy focusing on idealism; these beliefs look to material objects holding the truth rather than ideas about them. One can describe the idea of carpe diem as a profound focal point in the movie Dead Poets Society and many transcendental concepts. In the film, a group of boys come together and take a liking to Mr. Keating, a teacher that expresses the saying “seize the day” and its importance. The result is the adolescents’ decision to make the best of their possibilities and take chances. Any actions looking at the motto “seize the day” as an exemplar, and following Mr. Keating, yield a positive reaction; adhering to these actions, one can acquire a maturation of character.

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785 Words | 4 Pages

Kevin Sun Mrs. Cohen English 2CP --D February 22, 2018 Another Perspective The film Into the Wild is based on the life of Chris McCandless, a young man who rejected the consumerist society of America in order to live a more simple life. Through his travels, Chris carried essays by Transcendentalist philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, suggesting that McCandless is impacted by Transcendentalist ideals. Two key tenets of Transcendentalism that clearly influenced McCandless’ choices are the value of simplicity and the importance of self-reliance.

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835 Words | 4 Pages

The characteristics of transcendentalism is individual vs society and the connection between human and nature. A subject of Into the Wild is individual vs society because Chris McCandless tends to desire to chase freedom and be alone rather than with people. In the last letter ever received from Everett Ruess, to his brother Waldo on November 11th, 1934. He explains that he wants to live in isolation.

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1711 Words | 7 Pages

In “The Dead Poets Society,” Mr. Keating, an unconventional teacher, comes to an oppressive boys boarding school and exposes the students to an idealized version of transcendentalism, affecting his students both negatively and positively. His classes and interactions with his students show that Mr. Keating has the qualities of a good teacher: he allows his students freedom of thought, he teaches in fun and engaging ways, and he develops personal relationships with them. However, as the movie progresses, his flawed teaching style becomes increasingly evident in his presentation of the transcendentalist philosophy to his students. Transcendentalism can be summarized by “carpe diem” or “seize the day,” where you live life passionately

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255 Words | 2 Pages

Transcendental ideas are valuable in today’s society to some extent because they can teach one to appreciate what really matters and to look at the big picture; these ideas, if applied correctly, can better one’s life overall. In the movie Into the Wild, Chris McCandless lives a transcendental life and although the majority of the things he does are extreme, the ideas he lives by could be valuable in today’s society. In writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, transcendental notions that could benefit one’s quality of life are discernible. The transcendental theme in both the movie and the readings teach one, that the good things in life can only truly be appreciated if bad things are also present, to not give into the petty

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1044 Words | 5 Pages

Foreshadowing is present as he is so committed to wanting to leave society for freedom. A person can only be alone for so long and the way that he says he became “Lost in the wild” only he knew that eventually he would miss the real world. Chris then decides to change his name to Alex and let his past stay in the past and just move on. Even though freedom has him completely isolated he would rather be alone than to be around people and their obligations. Alex is living through himself with himself only.

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490 Words | 2 Pages

When senior year finally rolled around, Chris departed with all of the items on this list. He moved to a smaller room, put his mattress on the floor, used very little technology, and hardly ever went out with friends. As a lost hurrah before heading off on his last journey, Chris set fire to the last of his money. Renaming himself Alexander Supertramp, he embarked on a finale of ultimate proportions. Chris McCandless embodied the transcendentalist attitude through nonconformity, risk-taking, and

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783 Words | 4 Pages

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ―Maya Angelou. Jon Krakauer’s true story titled Into the Wild is about a man who decides to throw away his old life and escape the rules of conventional society. Twenty-two-year-old Chris McCandless came from a well-to-do family in Virginia and, without warning, abandons everything. He changes his name, loses contact with his family, gives away his car and all his money, and begins a two-year long journey hitchhiking to Alaska where he eventually dies of starvation.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

By changing his identity and leaving society, he felt he was shedding the fake elements of his past and evolving into a person he wanted to be. Chris McCandless did not depart on his transcendental quest to die, he ventured into the wilderness to kill the disappointments of his

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