Christopher Mccandless Symbolism

Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towards the atrocity nature.

Krakauer included this in the book to inform the readers that McCandless is abandoning his past. By telling the readers he burned his money and left behind most of his belongings, McCandless is rejecting his old ways and he does not want a lot of possessions that associates with his previous life. He is starting fresh and created a different life for himself with a different name.

Mccandless’ views aligned perfectly with the views of Henry David Thoreau in Walden, discussing his repudiation of material possession and his desire to achieve a higher spiritual purpose than to increase his bank account. The significant passage highlighted by Mccandless further explains Chris’ journey to find truth outside of societal conformity and in the wild, by living off the land rather than the artificial wealth built around lies. Moreover, this passage addresses the relationship Mccandless had with his parents, illustrating the immense betrayal felt by Mccandless when he discovered that his father lived as a bigamist for years and the yearning for truth to explain all the lies he had been

Jon Krakauer, fascinated by a young man in April 1992 who hitchhiked to Alaska and lived alone in the wild for four months before his decomposed body was discovered, writes the story of Christopher McCandless, in his national bestseller: Into the Wild. McCandless was always a unique and intelligent boy who saw the world differently. Into the Wild explores all aspects of McCandless’s life in order to better understand the reason why a smart, social boy, from an upper class family would put himself in extraordinary peril by living off the land in the Alaskan Bush. McCandless represents the true tragic hero that Aristotle defined. Krakauer depicts McCandless as a tragic hero by detailing his unique and perhaps flawed views on society,

In Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, Chris McCandless' actions exemplify transcendentalism through three of Thoreau's principles: living in the moment, lifting people up, and listening to one's instinct. By living in the moment, Chris plays with Jan Burres and her dog. To Chris, nothing else seems to matter. Chris lifts up his father when he thanks him for everything he has done. He listens to his own gut by keeping in a secret and entering the wild causing his parents pain and suffer.

Chris McCandless used many transcendentalist keys throughout his life, such as non-conformity, the importance of self-expression, and self-reliance. Throughout the book Into the Wild, McCandless uses these keys as if his life depended on it. These keys have shaped many lives, including: Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and more. While McCandless used all of the transcendentalism keys throughout Into the Wild, he used non-conformity the most.

Chris McCandless is living a brand new lifestyle, one that he’s not used to. One that includes nothing but freedom itself, and without the constant annoyance of always being told what to do. His previous lifestyle was based upon orders and demands, so now that Chris has found his new freedom, he doesn’t want to lose it, and will do anything to keep it. While working at McDonalds he has to keep his socks on due to health regulations, but taking them off right afterwards shows a demonstration of his free will. Even though his action may seem small, the main idea behind it is hidden within its symbolism of his free will. He is a master of his own life, and he seems to do whatever he pleases with no regrets or hesitation. Chris, for the most part,

“Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works” (Roderick Nash). Chris McCandless, a modern transcendentalist, sent out on an adventure to find his true self in the wilderness of the North American continent. In the two years he was away, he met many individuals he called his friends and explored the extent of the American West. However, Chris was found dead in an abandoned bus on the Stampede Trail in the deep wilderness of Alaska in early September 1992. Chris believed he could live his life without the disruption of others. Henry David Thoreau believed that individuals can strive for themselves without government interruption. Chris McCandless, in Jon Krakauer’s documentary Into the Wild, believes that living off the land and life to its fullest without help from others compares to Henry David Thoreau’s beliefs in his writing “Civil Disobedience.”

The gripping tale of a young man who leaves all that he has and goes to live amidst the natural world, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer showcases the two years Christopher McCandless had spent journeying throughout the United States before his unfortunate death. After graduating from Emory University in 1990, McCandless disconnected with all of his past relations and abandoned the majority of his possessions. McCandless’ decisions either seem extremely unwise or extremely courageous. He had a comfortable life with few worries yet he still chose to toss it all away and venture into unknown territories. What many wonder is why he would do such an irrational thing. Maybe, McCandless’ was simply trying to run away from his perception of reality.

What is transcendentalism? How is Christopher J. McCandless a transcendentalist? Transcendentalism is a philosophy, and a way of life. It consists of being a non-conformist, becoming one with nature, and rejecting materialism. Throughout Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into The Wild, McCandless happens to achieve all of the above. “Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist” (Emerson). He defied society, lived in the wild, and never cared about “things”. He existed off the land in Alaska, the west coast, and even Mexico. McCandless did not want anything else in life but happiness; he found this in the wilderness.

Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.

In the book Into the Wild, Chris McCandless went on his greatest adventure, he spent four months in the Alaskan wilderness. During his journey McCandless copied passages from Henry David Thoreau’s books into his journal, these passages consisted of Thoreau’s experiences regarding nature and how he perceived the world. McCandless’ ideology was very similar to Thoreau’s, they perceive the world in such a way that some would consider them mentally ill. Both McCandless and Thoreau have an obsession with the wilderness. The idea of having the ability to leave everything behind and start a new life in the wilderness, to learn more about themselves through nature fueled their fascination even more. Another quality they both possess is valuing

Both Henry David Thoreau and Christopher McCandless ventured out into the woods to get away from the dreariness of everyday society and to find themselves. Only one lived to tell the tale. What was the fatal flaw of the man who didn’t continue on? The only way to find this is to analyze the differences and similarities between the two. McCandless, while embracing some of the same values as Thoreau, was ultimately a different man. While they led very contrasting lives in very distant times, both McCandless and Thoreau sought a type of freedom that can only be achieved when immersed in nature. Thoreau’s entitlement and cozy cabin in the woods is a far cry from McCandless’s constant struggle during his expedition, however, certain parallels

The story of Chris McCandless has become a pop culture phenomenon. Many are fascinated by his desire to abandon his family and society and “walk into the wild” (Krakauer 69). Newscasts, magazine articles, movies, and books have tried to define what motivated him to give up everything for his Alaskan odyssey; however, the answers died with McCandless. People make assumptions about him without knowing his entire story. McCandless chose to do the unconventional, making people think he was either foolish or brave and determined, but ultimately he was selfish for doing what he did.

Into the Wild shows Chris McCandless’ journey to Alaska in search of enlightenment. Chris graduated college feeling disconnected, and felt life was meaningless. In his pursuit of happiness and enlightenment, he left his family and went across the country eventually ending up in Alaska. Chris McCandless should be considered as a modern day transcendentalist because he is self-reliant, a free thinker, and appreciates the importance of nature.