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Transcendentalism In Into The Wild

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During life, many people are persuaded to do extraordinary things. In the unprecedented case of Chris Mccandless, he is driven to the edge of society by a childhood discovery which traumatizes him, as well as the ideas of nonconformity and self-reliance. In Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris Mccandless is motivated by a family discovery as well as the ideas and tenets of Transcendentalism, to make his trek into the wilderness of Alaska.
In the biography Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris Mccandless unearths a terrible secret kept by his father, which is eventually a contributing factor for his decision to go to Alaska. After finishing high school, Chris decides to go on a summer excursion and travel the country, where he ends up in California, revisiting his old neighborhood. This is where he spends time with his half siblings, from Walt’s first marriage, who still live there. Chris finds out that after he was born, Walt had been continuing the relationship with his first wife, which Chris infuriates Chris, and he takes very personally: “Chris was the sort of person who brooded about things. If something bothered him, he wouldn’t come out and say it” (122). Letting his emotions build and broil over the newly discovered secret, Chris feels alienated from his parents. After finding out about his father’s double life, Chris feels like his whole life is counterfeit, which he expresses vividly to his sister, Carine: “He later …show more content…

Motivated by a discovery within his family as well as the ideas of independence and defiance to society, Chris Mccandless decides make a trek to the edge of civilization. Throughout life, people are provoked to do remarkable things,such as Chris Mccandless, who was motivated to escape into the wild, where he unfortunately met fatal

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