Henry David Thoreau And Chris Mccandless Transcendentalism

Henry David Thoreau’s words that “disobedience is the true foundation of liberty” and that “the obedient must be slaves” is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic era. Thoreau served as an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the Romantic era of literature. Thoreau brought these two themes together to write on how people ought to live a simplistic life through embracing nature. His naturalistic writing intertwined cataloging and observation with Transcendentalist views of nature. Through his life and

Thoreau, while not expressing his view as dramatically as McCandless, also viewed isolation as a positive experience. He believed in being able to be entertained even while in solitude, and that the loneliness with being “alone in a crowd” is more likely than the loneliness that comes with solitude. He believes that becoming part of the mass of society is what culminates loneliness, that the need for constant communication is no more than a need to gossip (Thoreau73). He believes that with independence, one can find oneself. Thoreau often mentions that the company of others isn’t needed, stating that if you “follow your genius closely... it will not fail to show you a fresh prospect every hour,” (Thoreau73). This means that if you rely on yourself when enveloped in boredom, you will find entertainment in something more times than not. He strongly follows this philosophy, even cleaning out his cabin or doing housework when bored (Thoreau72). Thoreau often set all his furniture out on the lawn, scrubbing

I believe the overall message of Henry David Thoreau´s “Solitude” is to differentiate solitude and loneliness which are totally different. It is more of a state of mind than something real. People around by other people would feel more loneliness than people who are physically alone. For Thoreau being in solitude is the best way to discover your mind and spirituality and is the best way to know yourself.

Transcendentalism, or the belief that there is a direct connection between a man’s individual soul and nature, was a very avant-garde movement throughout its peak; although now, American society continues to grow increasingly distant from it. These ideals are reflected in the works of Henry David Thoreau and Jon Krakauer, as well as the life of Chris McCandless. Throughout Thoreau’s novel Walden he distinctly preaches the belief that in society, men have become more focused on work and material possessions than life’s simple pleasures and freedoms. In the same manner, Krakauer and McCandless both draw inspiration from Thoreau, and ultimately share spiritual experiences throughout their adventures, both seeking to find life’s true purpose. Although many will argue that transcendental ideas and culture are outdated and have no place in today’s humanity, transcendentalism itself, and the ideals possessed by Henry David Thoreau and Chris McCandless have played a major role in American society, in that they appeal to the spiritual side of every man, which accredits to the belief that only life’s bare necessities are required in order to live a fulfilled life. However, it is unfeasible to live a transcendental lifestyle in today’s insatiable, consumerist society.

Similar to Thoreau, McCandless does not associate being in solitude to being lonesome. Throughout his journey, McCandless avoids forming close bonds with others because it distracts him from his final goal of independence and transcendentalism. This lack of intimate relationships frees McCandless as seen through the journal entry he wrote before walking into the Alaskan Bush. He writes proudly that for two years he has roamed with no company and no comforts. He calls it, “Ultimate freedom” (Krakauer 163). The fact that he considers it more of a freedom than a loss to live in solidarity shows that like Thoreau, McCandless does not feel lonely when he is alone. According to his sister, Carine, even when he was younger, he was fine with being alone. She said that although he had friends, he could easily entertain himself and never seemed lonely when he was alone. Another instance in which McCandless’s dissociation of solitude and loneliness shows is in a letter he writes to Ron Franz, a man he met near Salton City. In this letter, he tells Franz to step outside his comfort zone and live a more adventurous life. Towards the end of the letter, he states, “You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships,” (Krakauer 57). This approach is how he is not lonely in solitude; he is capable of finding joy in things other than human contact.

Transcendentalists believe that using their principles, humanity can inch closer and closer to utopia, the perfect society. Transcendentalism, the flawed doctrine, instead leads its adherents on the road to nowhere, and many of the principles fail spectacularly when applied in real life. Transcendentalism is too idealistic to be realistic. Simply put, transcendentalism is wrong. Their ideals are not just incorrect, they are potentially dangerous.

To think philosophically, the reality of living does not really has a definition. Around the 1840s, specific groups of people known as transcendentalists argued that there’s an intensive connection among God, man, and nature. They emphasizes that the main truth of understanding reality in life should be an individual epiphany. Christopher Johnson McCandless from Into the Wild shared similar philosophical ideas as two notable transcendentalists known as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and lived life like a transcendentalist based on his behaviors and life values.

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds… With consistency a great soul simply has nothing to do.” (Emerson)

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are two of the most inspiring and accomplished writers to ever walk upon this Earth. They dared to question how people lived and how people should live. They were light years ahead of their time with their transcendentalist ideas. Transcendentalism can be defined by this quote, “People... have knowledge about themselves and the world around them that "transcends"... what they can see, hear, taste, touch or feel”(History). This is a perfect explanation for what a transcendentalist is and what makes them so special. There are several important transcendentalist ideas that were expressed by Emerson and Thoreau, but few are as necessary as these; nature, self-reliance, and life quality.

Thoreau wishes to “live deliberately” (337). He did not want to think that he was not living his potentially best life. Thoreau “wanted to live deep and […] live so sturdily and Spartan-like” (337). He desires to know that he is alive thanks to his doing and thinking. Due to his actions, he is able to have a normal, balanced life. He does not need any help from modernized devices, he only requires his hands and mind. If he were to look at society today, he would notice that people use everything other than their hands to get work done. Devices like the microwave and cars and

Introduction Thoreau and Emerson were two of the most influential men from the transcendentalism era, they are even known as the Fathers of Transcendentalism. Two of their most famous quotes Quotes: “I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right” -(Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”)

Henry David Thoreau was an American transcendental writer in the 1800s. He was a well-educated man, having attended Harvard, and his writing served as an unconventional and controversial recount of his life. He contributed works such as Walden, Civil Disobedience, and several others to society and became one of the well-known transcendental authors of his time. His works were often met with criticism though, and his life seemed to take him in quite odd directions, one of which landed him in jail. A story was written about the time he spent in jail and some of the more significant moments in his life. In the play “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the authors use examples of civil disobedience and the love

Henry David Thoreau was born and lived his life in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau had always been an intelligent student and eventually began his study at Harvard University and graduated at the top of his class despite having to drop out on several occasions due to his financial struggles. Around the time when Thoreau was graduating,  America had been experiencing an economic depression resulting in the loss of jobs of many and work became harder to find. But because Henry Thoreau was a Harvard graduate, the best fit field for someone like him was teaching. For a short period, he began teaching at a local public school. He along with his brother John, began working in the family pencil making business. Their pencils were considered to be

In the early 19th century transcendentalism became a philosophical movement that arose the ideas of understanding life in the simplest of terms. From Thoreau to Emerson, they expressed the ideas of nonconforming from society in order to live in simplicity. Although transcendentalist ideas tend to come and go, society alters the appeal as the influence of transcendentalism occurs in many forms today.

Henry David Thoreau, perfected the philosophy of transcendentalism, furthermore he is the most well known example of transcendentalism . Thoreau was not the founder of transcendentalism, the credit for that goes to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Transcendentalism had its beginnings, as a protest against the general state of culture. The main themes of transcendentalism are: individuality1 , practicing non-conformity2 , carpe-diem3 , love of nature, and utopia4 . Here is a quote from Thoreau that encompasses the two beliefs of individuality and nonconformity.