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The Theme Of Isolation In Into The Wild And Cold Mountain

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“People who are isolated interest me, whether they isolate themselves or have been isolated by circumstances,” says Charles Frazier, famed author of Cold Mountain. The subject of isolation fascinates many others, for it can be something heart wrenching and consequential or a transcendental, intuitive experience. Due to its passionate, raw content and its ability to bring out the most fervent of emotions, isolation is an idea deeply explored in all types of media. Cold Mountain is a fictional novel that does exactly this, as well as Jon Krakauer’s biography titled Into the Wild. Each character, such as Chris McCandless, Inman, and Ada, experience different forms of isolation and have different reactions to it as a result. These reactions help to expand on the themes of both books. In conclusion, isolation in Into the Wild and Cold Mountain helps to develop …show more content…

Upon describing Chris McCandless, Krakauer writes, “he was alone and young and wilful and wild hearted, alone amid a waste of wild air and brackish waters and the seaharvest of shells and tangle and veiled grey sunlight” (Krakauer, 31). This quote shows that McCandless took a sense of pride in living apart from most of humanity. His isolation brought him a sense of excitement and a thrill that he could only achieve by surviving alone in nature. Appearing in contrast to Chris’ view is Inman’s: “It was as if nothing were there, himself in the process of becoming some mere figment, fading from the ground up” (Frazier, 261-262). Unlike Chris McCandless, having to survive in the wild quickly took its toll upon Inman. Inman did not experience the adventurous inklings of McCandless’ young mind, instead viewing his journey as a detriment to his emotional mindset and physical presence. While McCandless was attracted to the Alaskan interior, Inman longed to flee from the desolate, dismal wood he was forced to

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