Jon Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild and Paulo Coelho, the author of The Alchemist intertwine worlds of fiction and nonfiction through the personal aspects of pursuing a journey of self-discovery. Krakauer, a journalist, reports the events leading up to the death of Christopher McCandless, who embarks on a foreign path to Alaskan territory. McCandless cuts ties with his material lifestyle and relies on his newfound wits to persevere and endure the ways of the wild. Coelho depicts his fictional writings, The Alchemist, through the story of Santiago, an adventure-seeking shepherd who calls forth a dream of travels to a reality. On this road of pursuing desires, he leaves his nomadic life and ventures out to a long-awaited calling meeting
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McCandless often roams alone on the beaten path across his North American travels, but he maintains a few relationships among the good-hearted people he meets along the way. He becomes quite eager in situations when it involves new people. McCandless takes it upon himself to take advantage of times like these, “‘He needed his solitude at times, but he wasn’t a hermit. He did a lot of socializing. Sometimes I think it was like he was storing up company for the times when he knew nobody would be around’” (Krakauer 45). Santiago however, always finds comfort among his sheep as a shepherd and when even parting ways he accepts knowing that his sheep have probably forgotten all about him, but has thought of them as companions. He describes that, “They were content with just food and water, and, in exchange, they generously gave of their wool, their company” (Coelho 9). Upon leaving the town he holds dear, this new environment makes him feel like it alienates him as if he is different in a sense of their practice of religion and overall culture. The few hours that he resides in such a place, he observes how these people walk hand in hand, prayers praying, and men and women worshipping, together. He felt alone that he was a churchgoer as it was clear that these townsfolk were of a completely different faith. Santiago goes as far as to call them infidels in envy of their union. That togetherness of those people makes “The boy felt ill and terribly alone, the infidels had an evil look about them” (Coelho 37). As human beings, being interconnected is a natural need to feel together and
McCandless often roams alone on the beaten path across his North American travels, but he maintains a few relationships among the good-hearted people he meets along the way. He becomes quite eager in situations when it involves new people. McCandless takes it upon himself to take advantage of times like these, “‘He needed his solitude at times, but he wasn’t a hermit. He did a lot of socializing. Sometimes I think it was like he was storing up company for the times when he knew nobody would be around’” (Krakauer 45). Santiago however, always finds comfort among his sheep as a shepherd and when even parting ways he accepts knowing that his sheep have probably forgotten all about him, but has thought of them as companions. He describes that, “They were content with just food and water, and, in exchange, they generously gave of their wool, their company” (Coelho 9). Upon leaving the town he holds dear, this new environment makes him feel like it alienates him as if he is different in a sense of their practice of religion and overall culture. The few hours that he resides in such a place, he observes how these people walk hand in hand, prayers praying, and men and women worshipping, together. He felt alone that he was a churchgoer as it was clear that these townsfolk were of a completely different faith. Santiago goes as far as to call them infidels in envy of their union. That togetherness of those people makes “The boy felt ill and terribly alone, the infidels had an evil look about them” (Coelho 37). As human beings, being interconnected is a natural need to feel together and