Into the Wild Comparison In this essay, one will see how elements of transcendentalism are found in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Michael Donovan’s “It’s All-On-Me”, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature” and “Self-Reliance”, and many pieces by Henry David Thoreau. Comparisons will be made between these works of literature; we will discover how all of these stories follow the same theme.
In “It’s All-On-Me”, Donovan states, “Looks like it’s time to up and start mounting a game plan attack…” (Donovan). Krakauer also writes, “The following Wednesday, McCandless announced that it was time for him to be moving on.” (Krakauer, 1996). These two quotes bring transcendentalism to light. Both discuss a time to leave and venture on a journey, which is a step to becoming a transcendentalist. Chris McCandless, being just that, is embarking closer and closer to the wilderness. There, he will find self-discovery just like the narrator implies he will do in “It’s All-On-Me”. …show more content…
This is similar to the quote from Into the Wild that states, “When the boy off into the Alaska bush, he entertained no illusions that he was trekking into a land of milk and honey; peril, adversity, and Tolstoyan renunciation were precisely what he was seeking.” (Krakauer, 1996). While McCandless headed to the Alaskan wilderness, he desired the life of danger and primitivization. Emerson describes why in vivid terms. The “reason and faith” were believed by McCandless to be found by living alone in nature. This “return” to nature from where humans began is an aspect of
In “It’s All-On-Me”, Donovan states, “Looks like it’s time to up and start mounting a game plan attack…” (Donovan). Krakauer also writes, “The following Wednesday, McCandless announced that it was time for him to be moving on.” (Krakauer, 1996). These two quotes bring transcendentalism to light. Both discuss a time to leave and venture on a journey, which is a step to becoming a transcendentalist. Chris McCandless, being just that, is embarking closer and closer to the wilderness. There, he will find self-discovery just like the narrator implies he will do in “It’s All-On-Me”. …show more content…
This is similar to the quote from Into the Wild that states, “When the boy off into the Alaska bush, he entertained no illusions that he was trekking into a land of milk and honey; peril, adversity, and Tolstoyan renunciation were precisely what he was seeking.” (Krakauer, 1996). While McCandless headed to the Alaskan wilderness, he desired the life of danger and primitivization. Emerson describes why in vivid terms. The “reason and faith” were believed by McCandless to be found by living alone in nature. This “return” to nature from where humans began is an aspect of