Into the Wild is a book about a young adventurer named Chris McCandless. He is the main character of the book and usually goes by the pseudonym Alex Supertramp. The author also includes other stories about people who had similar experiences to Chris McCandless. McCandless was a very smart, independent person who hitch hikes around the United States.
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.
Permanence is but a word of degrees.” Emerson, Circles, page 226. Nature is a big part of transcendentalism and is deeply incorporated
“So many people live in unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation” (57). Chris McCandless was determined to not be one of those men, he strived for a life in solitude, away from the demands of society. For that reason he went on an epic transcendental experience that took him from Mexico to Alaska. Along the way, he met and made an impact on peoples’ lives, people like Wayne Westenberg and Ronald Franz. Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild discusses Chris’s journey, and makes the reader question Chris’s reasons for going out into the wild.
For them it's like a soothing melody that brings all elements of existence into perfect harmony. With such peace of mind, inventiveness is shortly to follow. Transcendentalists find nature to be a wellspring of inspiration and a boundless source of creative energy. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun (Krakauer 40).
When you go outside into nature all you may see are trees, flowers, and animals. When a transcendentalist goes goes outside and into nature they see so much beauty. They see the souls of the plants, the animals, and the world of nature. They will also use nature to get closer to a higher power. They will find a way to make everything in the world more beautiful than what people without their vision, or ideas would see.
Nature is not simply a setting. In actuality it compares to an average man in many aspects. The long essay employs personification many a time, and that aids the reader in truly comprehending their association with their outdoor surroundings. One usually does not contemplate having a relationship with nature, when being amongst nature. Emerson knew that this was true and that is most likely why he selected to use personify
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau both fond nature to be essential to being a whole person: spiritually and emotionally. Emerson saw nature’s effect on people and their thoughts, whereas Thoreau saw the deliberateness of nature and thought that if people could seize the same decisiveness that they would have more to enjoy in life. Both authors believed that humans needed to enjoy nature to be one with the universal being that is the basis of Transcendentalism. Emerson wrote “When we speak of nature in this manner, we have a distinct but most poetical sense in the mind.” (Nature 693) Emerson was saying that nature is similar to poetry for the mind, in that it is relaxing and wholesome.
They believe that there is an inner spark connecting all dimensions of nature, including humanity, which cannot be discovered through logical reasoning but only through intuition and the creative insight. They stressed the importance of harmony with nature. Transcendentalism is an idealism that encompasses a diverse and sometimes confusing set of beliefs regarding man’s role in nature and the universe (“Optimism and
In the essay Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author believes that nature is a wonderful being, it is to be revered, and that nature is better than most people. Emerson conveys this attitude through the use of figurative language, comparing, and contrasting. Mainly, Emerson uses personification to represent nature as a living, breathing thing that is wiser than many humans. In addition, Emerson uses comparisons to show that only wise men know not to show a mean appearance, but this is a concept that nature easily grasps. Finally, Emerson uses contrasting to show that children can connect to nature easier than adults due to their simplistic outlook on life.
Whitman and Emerson were well-known Transcendentalist authors that strongly implemented their beliefs into their work. Both authors are known as being followers of Transcendentalism, but they have very different views on how to transcend. Whitman and Emerson are both Transcendentalists but they have opposing beliefs on the topics of transcending, physical body, soul, and divinity. Emerson believed that the soul is divine, and the physical body is a barrier that prevents people from transcending. He believes that the body and soul are not joined and that he must get rid of his physical self to achieve transcendence.
Unbelievable amounts of people of all nationalities visit huge national parks like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone each year. To say that people don’t enjoy nature at all is a complete lie. Even Chris McCandless said himself that “ ‘the Grand Canyon’ “ is “ ‘something every American should see at least once in his life’ “(Krakauer 57). Enjoying nature does not mean having to go big national parks, it can be things such as camping out in the woods for the night or even picking up trash to help the environment. There will never be a time when nature is not being admired by at least one individual on the earth, and for that reason the transcendentalist values will only succeed to flourish.
People’s beliefs on nature may not be the same as the transcendentalists, but they still generally respect it. The Native Americans fighting against the DAPL are one example. The pipeline would likely pollute the water and kill many animals, greatly harming the ecosystem of the area. Transcendentalist ideas also reach beyond real life, in the video game Fallout 4
Transcendentalism Perspective from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature” The idea of transcendentalism is among the ideas that have existed over time, which attempt to explain life itself and the relationship that is present between nature and humanity. The question of existence has been one that has both fascinated and agonized humanity in equal measure. Wilson says free will exists “if not in the ultimate reality, then at least in the operational sense necessary for sanity and thereby for the perpetuation of the human species” (p. 170). This is evident from the attempts made by the great thinkers and philosophers of each successive generation that has been documented.
In the essay “ Nature”, Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests that people should discover the nature and appreciate it. He talks about the spiritual relationship between God, humans and the natural world. In this essay, Emerson also shows us the importance of nature, its use and its beauty. Ralph Waldo Emerson thinks that most people are not seeing and feeling the nature as they grow up, he says “few adult persons can see nature. [...] The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.”
