Chris Mccandless Justified

In the book Into the Wild the main character, Chris Mccandless, made a rational decision to exclude himself from human society because he believed that going beyond what his parents, and society wanted, he would live a happier life. Chris wanted to leave society and venture into the wilderness to find the true meaning of who he was. Chris Mccandless was neither crazy or ignorant to live off in the wild where there was no people or anything to interact with, but nature. Chris wanted to find his inner self and not only was he a role model for kids all across the country, but he also followed his dream. Even though it was selfish of him leaving his family, Chris Mccandless was not crazy simply because he

Chris McCandless utilizes the transcendental key self-reliance throughout his journey. As a little boy McCandless did not need toys or games to keep himself occupied. He was often found alone and entertaining himself. Chris McCandless seemed to be happiest when he was alone. This action is an example of the transcendental key self-reliance because most children need some form of entertainment other than themselves to be happy, but Chris McCandless just relied on himself to insure that he was happy. The transcendental key self-reliance is also a common theme in ¨Self-Reliance¨ by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In the essay, Emerson states, ¨Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.¨ McCandless lived in a way that he thought was best. He did not care what others thought about him, and only concentrated on what was best for him and his life.

In Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction book, Into the Wild, we follow how humans love the wilderness, the strain of father son relationships, and for the majority of the book a young adult named Chris McCandless. We see mostly through Chris’ eyes just how much the wilderness can entice young adults as well as how important crushing news of one’s father can change your life. McCandless was an angry pseudo adult who couldn’t handle a sizeable change in his life. He was too stuck on it being his way that he rarely could bring himself to accept help and improve his ability to actually survive. However, there was some good about McCandless. His search for himself and the truth were great intentions despite the flawed approach.

Freedom and Nature. These are both things Chris McCandless longed to dwell in. He took his steps into becoming everying thing he had hoped. But were his dreams and aspirations worth the ‘’Betrayal” of everyone who had ever cared about him? Do we owe our families anything in the first place? By looking at McCandless’s actions and reasonings we can see that he is justified solely on his passion and courage. People would like to say that he was irresponsible, ignorant and careless in his actions. However, all he wanted was complete freedom. He didn’t have to be sorry for anyone just because he was letting his heart guide the way.

Chris McCandless, who we can argue was born in the wrong time, displays all aspects of being an American Romanticist. As a matter of fact, Chris McCandless displays a lot of individualism in his everyday life. Chris says to a man named Gallien who asks him about his hunting license, “how I feed myself is none of the governments business” (7). This is a great display of individualism, because it shows that he is very much independent, and plays by his own rules not the governments. In the same way, the youngster took advantage of his youth and shows a tremendous amount of kinship with nature in the book Into the Wild. “He laid plans to make a solo ascent to the south face of Denali, the mountains steepest aspect… with minimum food” (55). Chris

Just like the Transcendentalists, Chris McCandless thinks society and the people around him are a detriment to his life and well-being which gives him another reason to “spend [days] as deliberately as nature” ( Thoreau). Society lets little valuables and expensive belongings take control of the individuals and the environment around them. Not only does society let these valuables take control, but is seen as “positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind” (Thoreau). In addition to, according to Thoreau and other Transcendentalists, Civilization is just another word for making money. Chris escapes from the preposterous society and starts to “explore thyself” in the process (Thoreau). McCandless takes in consideration of “how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity” are as he thinks of how society uses tradition to keep people from their spiritual truths

The Importance of Epigraphs In Into the Wild In order to escape the restrictions of society, people seek adventure and thrills that provide excitement and freedom in their life. The exhilaration of doing something new and exciting is an experience everyone wants to have. To live a life of freedom and excitement, Chris McCandless, a well educated young man, left his old life behind. He gave up all of his belongings, created a new identity for himself, and made important friendships along the way.

For example, when Chris was a kid he was very different from everyone else. Chris’s dad says, “He could go off and entertain himself for hours…he could be alone without being lonely” (Krakauer 107). This quote proves that Chris does not need to be around people to have fun. Chris relates to Thoreau’s thoughts of individualism. Thoreau says, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

The aspiring philosopher selected a passage in Henry David Thoreau’s book, “Walden, or Life in the Woods.” It was an exceptionally suitable piece of literature for McCandless’s situation, and even more so during his time in the Alaskan Bush. “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. I sat at a table where rich food and wine in abundance, an obsequious attendance, were but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. The hospitality was as cold as the ices.” Based on McCandless’s focus on that part of the publication, we can determine what he perceived as important in life. At the time, it was truth; one can only assume that this notion stemmed from the lies his father told. These deceptions primarily involved his first marriage, and the circumstances surrounding his second marriage. Chris McCandless uncovered the elaborate falsehood sometime before his odyssey, which means he had a long while to absorb the information and give some thought to it. Once McCandless began reading the books about the wilderness, family, and society, he would have been able to make connections between the literatures and his experiences. Furthermore, he could have correlated the primary ideas between the books to bring himself to new

This shows that he would no longer bow down to his parents wishes, and would do what would make him happy. In “Nature” by Ralph Waldo, it points to the exact same morals that Chris McCandless has. In Nature, Ralph Waldo says “The incommunicable trees begin to persuade us to live with them, and quit our life of solemn trifles.” Nature itself is calling to Chris McCandless in Into The Wild. It is calling, and it says to “Quit your life of solemn trifles.”

The hysteria of society can easily drown a voice or an idea. It easily sweeps people off their feet and can change their mood in an instant. There is one single exception to this case, Chris McCandless. He was the type of transcendental that was a complete nonconformist, one who tuned out authority and acted upon self-experience and intuition. The ability he had to stay true to himself was phenomenal. Emerson’s saying “envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide,” could easily be Chris’s motto.

In the story, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, character Chris McCandless ends all connections with society which he believes can be compared to a corrupt and evil institution. Chris McCandless was an individual who desired more from the world than what was offered and limited by society. He wanted to escape the boundaries of the society that he was born into in order to discover his true self or even perhaps learn what true happiness is.

Thoreau reflects his positive views on nature as he “never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude” (Thoreau, Solitude). A companion and being in a state of solitude are opposites of each other, but in nature, they act simultaneously because nature offers a source of comfort to one living an independent life. In a civilization, an individual is required to follow proper etiquette to maintain a prosperous community. When in reality, the corruptness of society goes against proper decorums. Into the Wild mirrors this view because Chris adjudges that in a quiet secluded life, happiness is found. Man does not need to be burdened by an oppressive society, and instead, can live freely in nature. Burdens that arise from corporations corrupt humankind because of the unjust laws that are present. Independence in nature is just as similar as having connections in society because there is a constant state of solitude no matter where in the

Into The Wild is a prime example of Transcendentalism in the modern world as Chris McCandless, in his pursuit of happiness, attempts to replicate many of the ideas that Henry David Thoreau both practiced and preached. Thoreau preached living with little material needs or wants. Chris tries to exemplify this as he lives with no money and no home. Thoreau advocates that living in the wilderness in solitude will not only enlighten but also bring to joy in simplicity to anyone who tries it. Chris takes this to a new level as he lives about as far from society as possible and as far from other people as possible. Both Thoreau and Chris have a strong sense that society is binding and should be rebelled against when it is disagree with.

Self-Reliance was an essay written by an American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Throughout his life, Emerson kept detailed journals of his thoughts and actions, and he looked back at them as a source for Self-Reliance. The essay mainly talks about the importance of self-reliance, self-reliance and the individual, and self-reliance with society. As a whole it promotes self-reliance as an ideal and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity. Throughout Into the Wild, Chris McCandless shows that he is very independent and does not conform to society. Which is why he leaves his home and travels to be closer to nature.