Thoreau And Mccandless: A Comparative Analysis

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In contrast, Thoreau was much more mature, and he was aware of his limitations. He was not impulsive about his journey, and his house and lifestyle were well thought out. First of all, the purpose of Thoreau’s mission is in general different from Chris’s. Chris’s was an extreme test of his survival while Thoreau’s mission was a philosophical journey. All in all, Thoreau did not wish to expose himself to the elements to a severe extent. He just wanted to experience what life was like without technology, so he prepared in like manner. He took great care to prepare and maintain his living space. In fact, he took joy in his work. When he needed to clean his floor, he would place all the furniture out on the lawn, clean the floor and let it dry. To Thoreau, work was a time to meditate. This is why he said, “Housework was a pleasant pastime” (Thoreau 73). He enjoyed taking care of his house, and he was both methodical and relaxed about it. Thoreau discussed how he would hoe beans during his days, and how he never felt rushed into doing his work. His pace of life was so leisurely that some people in town thought it was lazy. This ability to calmly contemplate the world and meditate by himself shows that he was not angry or impulsive, and every move he took was calm and calculated. He prepared for his mission so that he would have the time to meditate and ponder life. He had so much free time because of efficient preparation. Unlike McCandless, he was measured in everything he did, and he didn’t overestimate his abilities. Furthermore Finally, Chris didn’t believe in having many material objects. Throughout the book, Chris expressed a disliking for material objects. For example, he burned all of his cash when he decided to leave his car behind at Lake Mead National Park. Jon Krakauer even wrote that this act would make his idols like Tolstoy and Thoreau proud. It was defiant act that showcased his disliking for materialism. One might think that McCandless was just a rebellious kid, but his real reason for having such contempt for money was because it reminded him of his parents. The main reason he left was because he was resentful of his parents, and money reminded him of his parents’ wealth. The burning of the cash was an act of rebellion against materialism, but it was more specifically against his mom and dad. Correspondingly, he refused to accept any gifts his parents tried to give him. To clarify, he wouldn’t accept an offer from his parents to buy him a new car as a graduation present, and he also refused to take his parents up on the offer to pay for law school. Chris was outraged by this idea, and he thought his parents were trying to buy his respect. He believed his car was good enough as it was, and he didn’t even want to go to law school. The entire episode is a perfect example of his distaste for material things. He disapproved of his parents wealth, and he desired to benefit as little as possible from it because it represented materialism, something he was morally against. Chris, in similar fashion to Thoreau, wanted to own no more than he needed. He would even take this idea to the extreme, notably when he donated all the money in his college fund to OXFAM. He had so little regard for money that he would throw it away at a moment’s notice. The foundation of Chris’s ideology was independence, and …show more content…
Chris and Thoreau both enjoyed a natural and simplified lifestyle. While McCandless may be praised as a freethinker that a lot of people can sympathize with, he may not be as benign as he seems. He left his family, shunned everyone who cared about him, and was constantly angry about problems that didn’t even affect him. Even though Thoreau’s lifestyle seemed enlightening, Chris’s path shows a darker side to this idea. While it may be beneficial to get away from society for a while and be alone with one’s thoughts, complete and total isolation is never the answer. With this in mind, it’s always better to have the courage to face your problems head on and trust your loved

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