• Home Page
  • Transcendentalism In John Kkaauer's Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

Transcendentalism In John Kkaauer's Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

Great Essays
Show More
The book Into the Wild by author Jon Krakauer tells the incredible story of Chris McCandless who decided to abandon his old life and free himself from the shackles of society that dragged him down so that he may live in complete freedom and happiness, no longer would he suffer from the constraints of everyday life but could instead focus on things he felt that truly mattered so that he may live a fulfilling life. Chris was an incredibly determined young man who had a strict moral compass. From an early age, he wanted to do things his way or no way at all, he had an amazing spirit and ambition to succeed no matter the obstacles which no doubt was a factor in him deciding to embark on his great journey to Alaska. However, Chris didn’t develop …show more content…
Yet, all these things make Chris an admirable person because he chose to follow in the footsteps of the people he looked up to regardless of what anyone else thought.
Henry David Thoreau was a leader of the transcendentalist movement who encouraged people to abandon society and live in nature. Thoreau believed that in order to find true purpose, you needed to live in nature because nature held all the answers that mankind sought after. Part of living in nature meant living alone with only the company of nature which is what Chris did when he went to Alaska and why he didn 't tell anyone of his location. He wanted to spend a great period of time their alone so that he could reflect on his ideals and understand them more. Thoreau played a large role in helping Chris develop his philosophy on life and as a result Chris began to …show more content…
Tolstoy constantly expressed his desire for people to live a more simplistic life. He felt that society had put too much of an emphasis on materialistic things such as wealth and other status symbols. Tolstoy gave up his materialistic possession including money so that he could pursue his ideals and dreams. “What nobody knew- was that he would donate all the money in his college fund to OXFAM America, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger” ( 20). This quote shows us that Chris followed the same path as Tolstoy, he too abandoned the luxuries he once had in favor of pursuing his dreams. Chris hated the idea of spending money on materialistic things that weren 't needed. For example when Chris’s parents attempted to buy him a new car he was furious because that would go against everything he believed in. He even burned all the money he had and abandoned his car because he felt he was relying too much on it. “As a general rule spend as little as possible and you will enjoy it much more immensely” (58). This quote from the book comes directly from Chris who is trying to sway a friend into living a simplistic lifestyle. Chris believes that living a simplistic life is very fulfilling because you begin to appreciate everything around you so much more. You begin to notice the little things in life that you would 've never

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Analysis Of Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer
    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Analysis Of Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

    He determined that he would travel to Alaska, get further away from it all, and face nature at its finest. He traveled exceptionally light. He didn?t take much, a parka, a small rifle, some boots, a few clothes, a ten pound bag of rice, books, and little else. ? The heaviest item in McCandless?s half-full backpack was his library: nine or ten paperbound books.…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Mccandless's Journey In Into The Wild By Chris Mccandless
    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited

    Mccandless's Journey In Into The Wild By Chris Mccandless

    For Example, Leo Tolstoy states “Life is a place of service, and in that service one has to suffer a great deal that is hard to bear, but more often to experience a great deal of joy.” (Leo). Leo is stating that in life you have to suffer a great deal, the suffering leads to a great deal of happiness in life. Chris viewed this as an inspiration, because he had suffered throughout his journey, even though he had a lot of obstacles he did not quit until he finally met his initial point, it is what made him happy. Leo also inspired Chris in many different ways, in which Chris showed in the movie Into the Wild.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Similarities Between Into The Wild And Tuesdays With Morrie
    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Similarities Between Into The Wild And Tuesdays With Morrie

    He always wanted to travel and go to Alaska. Once his plan set off, he felt fulfilled that he could finally travel alone like he wanted to with no stress on his shoulder. He was very relieved to be on his own, and he was becoming very happy with nature. Even though Chris had some rough experiences out in the wild, in the end he was happy that he made it to Alaska and reached his destination.…

    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Does Krakauer Use Syntax In Into The Wild
    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Krakauer Use Syntax In Into The Wild

    Krakauer strives to ideally display the type of person Chris was, rather than the “reckless narcissist” or “noble idealist” outsiders viewed him as. For example, the author uses complex sentence structures to show the complexity of Chris: “Didn’t matter what it was, he’d do it: hard physical labor, mucking rotten grain, and dead rats out of the bottom of the hole- jobs where you’d get so damn dirty you couldn’t even tell what you looked like at the end of the day” (Krakauer 18). Chris was always making situations harder than they needed to be, which is a constant theme throughout the book. However, Chris is extremely intelligent and was always questioning life and creating challenges for himself, some of which may have been too challenging. In any case, Chris’s perspective on life was difficult for people to understand, but Krakauer creates an arranged, syntactic viewpoint of the raw existence Chris longed…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Is Chris Mccandless Crazy
    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Is Chris Mccandless Crazy

    In conclusion, even though Chris had positive aspirations about the future in Alaska his outlook on life was all wrong. Not agreeing with society is fine but choosing to leave it completely is madness. There was no way anyone could have believed he would make it. If he was more prepared and used the money he had he could have had all he wanted but…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Nonconformity In Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer
    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Nonconformity In Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

    Though it is unclear from whom he inherited it, it is obvious that he learnt from authors like Thoreau. In accordance with the creator archetype, Chris did not agree with social norms. He did hold a job during his adventure, however it was not long until he grew, “tired of punching a clock, tired of the “plastic people” (Krakauer 43). It is not his exhaustion with the normal life that matters; it is the fact that Chris tried to fit into a world he knew he did not belong, the world of workers and conformists, and his father. Chris spent years finding himself and his few months in Bullhead, where he worked his steady job at McDonalds, is representative of him testing the waters of normality.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Importance Of Community In Into The Wild
    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Importance Of Community In Into The Wild

    Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into The Wild, presents the question, to what extent is community essential to happiness? Based on the actions illustrated by the main character, Chris Mccandless and humans in general, it’s fair to say that we don’t need people in order to be happy. Community can be defined as, “A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” As humans, we are so diverse and unique that we sometimes can’t find a community where our goals, interest or attitudes are reciprocated by others. Though society does believe we need relationships with parents, mentors and friends to be happy; Chris showed that we did not need these relationships to be happy.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Thesis For Into The Wild
    • 1202 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Thesis For Into The Wild

    Consequently, many act foolishly based on their ignorance. This inhibits people to settle and use materials to define their level of happiness in life. However, McCandless wished,” to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence , from all those sublime phrases, to take refuge in nature”(189). McCandless wanted to live a simpler life in which stuff had no worth. Many times he was offered gifts in which he refused to receive because it took way from the struggle of his…

    • 1202 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Into The Wild Identity Quotes
    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Into The Wild Identity Quotes

    Chris sent letters to everyone he has met and some of his family members letters saying how this will be the last time you hear from me(Krakauer 68-69). Chris built his identity of being self ruling and stubborn by her values and beliefs. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a biography. Chris constructed an identity, being stubborn, unthankful, and independent and that changes his life and his choices, Chris built his identity by his actions, interest, and values and beliefs. Chris left to Alaska to be alone and did not stay in contact with anyone other than sending letters about how it was the last they would hear from Chris.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Character Analysis: Chris Mccandless
    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Character Analysis: Chris Mccandless

    Chris believes the only way his life would be meaningful is if he did exactly what he is after. His strong willed nature is also shown when Chris leaves without telling anyone about his plans. He believes that he doesn’t need to tell anyone because he “will not run into anything that he can’t deal with” ( Krakauer 6). McCandless has such a strong will that he doesn't really think about the negative aspects of…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Compare And Contrast Into The Wild And Walden
    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Into The Wild And Walden

    We first see evidence of this when Chris donated his leftover money from college (over $24,000) to OXFAM, which is an organization that fights hunger (Krakauer 20). The average salary for Americans is about $51,000, meaning that Chris donated almost half of an average American’s salary to the organization (Average Salaries). We see Chris reject materialism again when he purposefully burned $123 (Krakauer 29). The author said, “Then, in a gesture that would have done both Thoreau and Tolstoy proud, he arranged all his paper currency in a pile on the sand… and put a match to it.” The author’s words suggest that Chris was similar to Thoreau in his opinion of money and materialism.…

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Chris Mccandless Selfishness In Into The Wild
    • 1063 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Chris Mccandless Selfishness In Into The Wild

    However, that is not the case. Throughout the book, many of Chris’s actions were ignorant, ungrateful and seems to be somewhat selfish. He went into the wilderness without proper knowledge of how to live out there in the wild, and even without the proper equipment, even little things that can help you guide of where you are, location wise, a map. He threw it out thinking that he’d explore an unexplored part of Alaska. In the artice “Why the Teen Brain Is Drawn to Risk,” by Maia Szalavitz, it states that “... adolescents carefully think about risks most adults would not even consider taking…”…

    • 1063 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Chris Mccandless's Dream Of Freedom In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer
    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chris Mccandless's Dream Of Freedom In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

    Chris also felt free from the burdens of his family, as well as the pressures of the outside world to conform and be normal. He was alone and out in the wilderness. Through this, he felt truly happy. Chris loved the days where he was penniless, the days where he was drifting and had complete freedom over himself. “...My days were more exciting when I was penniless and had to forage around for my next meal... I 've decided that I 'm going to live this life for some time to come.…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Christopher Mccandless Hero Analysis
    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited

    Christopher Mccandless Hero Analysis

    Instead of following social norms and living how society, his parents, and those around him told him to, Chris ventured out into the world on his own to live his life by his own rules. Chris did not care what other people thought of him and he did not want to live the way society taught him to. By rejecting money, cars, maps, and other things that could have kept him alive, he proved himself to be an independent and adventurous young man. “I can almost understand why he rejected maps, common sense, conventional wisdom and local knowledge before embarking on his venture. Occasionally when I hear others make fun of Christopher McCandless, I fall quiet” (Sherry Simpson).…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Transcendentalism In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer
    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Transcendentalism In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

    Transcendentalism is described a person who finds satisfaction in solitude and nature. It was a nineteenth century movement in which mean people joined. In the book Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless is a transcendentalist, from the modern age, which means he enjoys the simplicity of life and deliberate living or living life with intentions. McCandless goes into the wild with the aspiration of finding himself through nature. In the eyes of a transcendentalist, they believe that natures role in life is important.…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings