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Individualism In Into The Wild

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The book and story of Chris McCandless reflects on the transcendentalist ideas and the effects of human nature, whether positive or negative. Chris, a young ambitious kid travels the country for two years and then makes his way to Alaska to live into the wild, which will be his last stop. When in the wild, the transcendentalist ideals shine through as having a positive effect, however, when living in society and reflecting back on society, they reflect a negative response on human nature.When on his own, Chris sees the beauty in the world around him, but with noise and money and working people, he sees the cluttered nonsense of this world. Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer reflects transcendental ideas through individualism and the awe of nature, …show more content…

Instead of the rebel teenage girl doing this in the hunger games and Divergent series, there is no dystopia, and no army, Chris is just a guy living in the modern dystopia of this world. Whether the world is actually as detrimental as Chris believes it is, out in the wild, it's all peace and quiet for him. Some may agree on his adventure, some may disagree, and others may think he had a good point and adventure, but there should of been some precaution. These points of views all depend on the point of view on individualism. People find themselves in different ways and at different times. Into The Wild shows individualism as a positive thing, …show more content…

These two foil ideas make up the entirety of this story. Chris believes society is bad and nature is good. As readers, we cannot judge Chris’ opinions entirely, but we can form our own opinions. Society is not as corrupt as Chris believed, and nature is not as beautiful if you have no point in being there. This story is about a journey of Chris McCandless, the man who left society for isolation. The author portrays Chris’ standpoints clearly, the simplicity of nature and individualism shines through as beautiful, but the unprincipled society can ruin it

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447 Words | 2 Pages

Krakauer’s anecdote illustrates how he was drawn to the story of Mccandless and how Chris’s actions, thoughts, and mental processes came naturally. He informs us of the inevitable accidents that can occur while hiking the wilderness, as well as his own mindset during his similarly troubled, youthful years. Krakauer went through similar mental growth as Chris, but had the fortune of surviving where Chris did not. Unlike McCandless, he didn’t have a single minded focus of living an idealistic life inspired by a great such as Jack London or Thoreau, but Krakauer did yearn for something larger than himself. Both he and Chris shared the desire of personal morality.

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871 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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822 Words | 4 Pages

Into the wild, is a book by Jon Krakauer that later got turned into a film by Sean Penn, it follows the life of Christopher McCandless, who graduated from Emory University as a top student and athlete with wealthy pushing parents. Instead of continuing his life as a working man of society and taking his offers at top law schools, he decides to ultimately completely disconnect himself from society and instead tries to find his own meaning of life in the wild. Shaun Callarman says “ I think that Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant at the same time.” and i really agree with him on that because even though he left his college a top student the way he wanted to completely disconnect himself the way he did was ignorant. Not only that In the movie it clearly shows that even though he didn't want to connect with people on his journey to alaska he did, I think that if he wouldn't have been so set on being alone and not being attached to others he wouldn't have died the way he did.

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663 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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849 Words | 4 Pages

Chris went off after he graduated college and “lived off the land”. Chris would travel to the coast of Mexico, the plains of Kansas, and the dunes of Nevada. Chris went on a final expedition to Alaska that cost him everything. In the following paragraphs I will fully detail how Chris was reckless, selfish, and naive. I will also explore how Chris tied his life to the beliefs of transcendentalism.

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599 Words | 3 Pages

Chris and Timothy 's independence shows the development of alienation; they isolate themselves and find their purpose in life away from society by documenting their journey. The writer of Into the Wild and the director of Grizzly Man apply similar characterization to Chris and Timothy 's story to show alienation from society. The writer of Into the Wild and the director of Grizzly Man apply similar characterization to Chris and Timothy 's story to show alienation from society through documenting their experiences. Jon Krakauer and Werner

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498 Words | 2 Pages

Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless, and Henry David Thoreau express the aspects of Transcendentalism in their three points of view. Transcendentalism is based on the belief that human beings have self-wisdom and may gain this knowledge or wisdom by how nature flows. It has three common themes: self-wisdom, nature and its meaning, and social reform. Chris McCandless’s life expressed in Krakauer’s Into the Wild is similar to the Transcendental beliefs of Thoreau’s Walden. The first Transcendental point of Chris McCandless’s and Henry David Thoreau’s lives is their dislike of material possessions.

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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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665 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel Chris repeatedly did things that endangered his own well being. Even though it is illegal and even after he got ticketed for doing so, Chris hitchhiked across the country. Chris also burned most of his money along with his birth certificate and assumed a fake name while travelling. When Chriss’ body was found in Alaska, It took quite some time before he could be identified because he had not told his family where he was going and had no identification. Chriss’ lack of responsibility could have been due to his determination and bravery which would have made Chris throw caution to the wind more often than he should have.

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1376 Words | 6 Pages

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.

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811 Words | 4 Pages

This quote shows how Chris wanted to prevent himself from committing the same mistakes his father did. He feared that by staying he would be distracted and never again have the chance to travel. Life to Chris meant living out his wildest dreams, living freely in the wild was a challenge he was willing to put himself through. There he’d have no limits or rules to hold him back, so he knew it;d be the perfect place to terminate his personal issues. Like Chris, many people have set out

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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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748 Words | 3 Pages

Anyone can have a story in their life and can turn it into a book. Jon Krakauer wrote Into the Wild on what happened to Christopher McCandless and turned his story into a novel. Jon Krakauer´s structure his novel to let the reader have their own opinions on Christopher McCandless by stating the book is on his bias viewpoint, putting it in non-chronological order, and wrote about his own background life story, which is all important to strengthen Krakauer 's motive of writing his book. Into the Wild, focuses on the young individual named Christopher McCandless who hitchhiked to Alaska. Along the way, in his journey, he met new people and traveled in many places.

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809 Words | 4 Pages

This individualism thrived during the Revolutionary War as the Americans created their own democratic nation in response to a monarchy that would not allow them to govern themselves (Bellah 142). Individualism fueled the American dream of bettering one’s life using one’s own grit. It was the defining ideology that led pioneers out west to start afresh. Up until the 1950s, however,

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629 Words | 3 Pages

Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild investigates the life and adventures of Chris McCandless. The author provides information about Chris’ life to illuminate his journey. Krakauer also uses rhetorical appeals to defend Chris’ rationale for his journey. Through Krakauer’s use of pathos, ethos, and logos, he persuades the audience that Chris is not foolish; however, Krakauer’s intimacy with Chris and his adventures inhibits his objectivity.

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