Transcendentalism In Self Reliance

Transcendentalism is widely known throughout the world and some people believe themselves to be transcendentalists even to this day. Most know transcendentalism to be a movement started in the nineteenth century; it is a idealistic philosophical and social movement. Beliefs of a transcendentalist consist of but are not limited to: being a nonconformist, nature is spiritual, inspirational and symbolic, self-reliance is important and following personal beliefs is the key to a happiness and leads to a fulfilling life. To show, in Self-Reliance written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Civil Disobedience and Walden, both by Henry David Thoreau, focus on the topic of transcendentalism and share their own opinions towards the subject. However, Christopher …show more content…
Chris was no doubt a nonconformist and proves so many times throughout the movie. To exhibit, he burned his money, quit his job because they told him to wear socks, and road both a train and river illegally. In order to be free from society’s boundaries he decided it would be a good idea to burn his money as well as quit his job to escape. Likewise, he went against the law by stealing a train ride and a trip down the river helping him near his future destination. Henry Thoreau agrees when he writes “we should be men first, and subjects afterward,” in Civil Disobedience. Accordingly, people should not be bound to rules or laws; in fact they should be their own person and make their own decisions before succumbing to conformity. Ironically, Chris follows suit and lives his life the way he wants to, though it might be …show more content…
Constantly, he is caught admiring the land or studying wildlife (plants included.). Chris even writes in his journal, “the very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure.” Every day that Chris woke up in the bus he took shelter in, was an adventure; even if he was just hunting for food or enjoying the serenity of nature. In his publication of Walden, Henry Thoreau said that “ Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” Truly a beautiful quote explaining the importance of appreciating nature and living within its grace. Nature is focal point of life and without nature we would not exist. Chris respected that because he understood materialistic objects took an unruly hold on the world. He understood in order to find peace from inside he needed to break away and collect himself.

All things considered, Chris McCandless was a true transcendentalist. He was convinced that nature was the key to inner happiness, he refused to follow the norm and trusted himself enough to live without materialistic things. With no instructions or guidelines, he lived life the way he thought life should be lived. Chris McCandless was brave to have confidence in his actions. “Happiness is only real when shared,” Chris maintains his ideas that happiness can’t come from lifeless tools, but only by people and