There is no doubt that the philosophy of Transcendentalism is demanding to live by. Some might call it idiotic to isolate oneself from an economically and socially stable lifestyle to live in the wild and discover their true self. However, these who choose to live this way put no weight on whether or not others around them support their decisions. Chris McCandless has the exact attitude necessary to accomplish the feat of living like a Transcendentalist. A main idea of Transcendentalism, from Henry David Thoreau’s chapter of Walden “Conclusion,” is that all knowledge comes from self-knowledge. Chris recognizes this and escapes to discover himself. In addition, another Transcendentalist idea, discussed by Ralph Waldo Emerson in Self-Reliance,
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In the essay “Conclusion” from his book Walden, Thoreau discusses what he learned through his experience of isolating himself and living in the woods. Thoreau writes, “Nay, be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought. Every man is the lord of a realm beside which the earthly empire of the Czar is but a petty state, a hummock left by the ice” (207). First of all, Thoreau compares the potential of the human mind to the journeys of Christopher Columbus. He says every person has the ability to discover their own tremendous pathways of thought. Additionally, that each man’s thoughts are second to none, even to the most influential of men. Thoreau says that all one’s energy should be put into discovering one’s self knowledge because that is the only knowledge that means anything to the development of oneself. This Transcendentalist idea is key to understanding the message of Thoreau’s …show more content…
Chris’s parents feel the need to do something special for his graduation present, so they surprise him by telling him that they want to buy him a brand new car. When they tell Chris, he angrily proclaims, “Why the hell would I want a car? … Or are you worried about what the neighbors might think? .. I don’t want a new car. I don’t want anything. Thing, thing, thing” (Into the Wild). Chris first reacts to his parents in a way that seems like he is upset with them. He is appreciative of his perfectly operative car and does not feel the need to change. Then, he calls out his parents for wanting him to buy the car just so they could display their wealth to the neighbors. Chris’s parents do the opposite of what Emerson suggests, where they feel the need to fit into society rather than being happy with standing out. Finally, Chris expresses how he feels about being materialistic by mocking his society. When he says, “Thing, thing, thing,” he is making fun of how everyone is always concerned about what they have rather than who they have or what they know. Unlike his parents and the rest of his society, Chris is comfortable with his identity. A Transcendentalist lives their life without any concern of what others think of their motives and the path they take and this is the same standards Chris follows. He never shows any
In the essay “Conclusion” from his book Walden, Thoreau discusses what he learned through his experience of isolating himself and living in the woods. Thoreau writes, “Nay, be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought. Every man is the lord of a realm beside which the earthly empire of the Czar is but a petty state, a hummock left by the ice” (207). First of all, Thoreau compares the potential of the human mind to the journeys of Christopher Columbus. He says every person has the ability to discover their own tremendous pathways of thought. Additionally, that each man’s thoughts are second to none, even to the most influential of men. Thoreau says that all one’s energy should be put into discovering one’s self knowledge because that is the only knowledge that means anything to the development of oneself. This Transcendentalist idea is key to understanding the message of Thoreau’s …show more content…
Chris’s parents feel the need to do something special for his graduation present, so they surprise him by telling him that they want to buy him a brand new car. When they tell Chris, he angrily proclaims, “Why the hell would I want a car? … Or are you worried about what the neighbors might think? .. I don’t want a new car. I don’t want anything. Thing, thing, thing” (Into the Wild). Chris first reacts to his parents in a way that seems like he is upset with them. He is appreciative of his perfectly operative car and does not feel the need to change. Then, he calls out his parents for wanting him to buy the car just so they could display their wealth to the neighbors. Chris’s parents do the opposite of what Emerson suggests, where they feel the need to fit into society rather than being happy with standing out. Finally, Chris expresses how he feels about being materialistic by mocking his society. When he says, “Thing, thing, thing,” he is making fun of how everyone is always concerned about what they have rather than who they have or what they know. Unlike his parents and the rest of his society, Chris is comfortable with his identity. A Transcendentalist lives their life without any concern of what others think of their motives and the path they take and this is the same standards Chris follows. He never shows any