Chris McCandless

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Recommended: Comparison study between Thoreau and Emerson

American society has appeared to have an obscure affinity for progressive, ideals, thoughts and morals, an affinity whose roots can be seen in all aspects of our society today. That hunger to change, to own the “best of the best” is evolving into the idea of perfectionism. Perhaps, it is due to this obsession with originality that prompts us to show who and what we truly are. The perception for individualism gave birth to prominent authors namely Thoreau and Emerson peacefully rebelling against societies ways with the art of literature and thought. Two distinguished authors created this legacy of transcendentalism-- believing in the idea of “free spirit” and the inherent goodness of both people and nature.
Jon Krakauer, the biographer and author of Chris McCandless's story, has carefully crafted his book Into the Wild articulating the accounts of Chris McCandless with many of them aligning with those of a true transcendentalist. Chris McCandless, born to a rich family attended the prestigious Emory University graduating with a the highest Honors degree. Backed by an acceptance from Harvard Law, after graduation, Chris, cut all ties to “his society” and ventured out on a journey Into the Wild, discovering the true meaning of transcendence. The life, free of the material goods and constant satisfaction of others, Krakauer discloses the life Chris had always wanted to live, with simplicity and a true passion for the world around him. The passion that in the end was his downfall.
There are many humans in this world controlled by money. We have grown to leave families for it, break friendships, and even in some cases murder. However in Chris’s life, money was just a monetary aspect, something for which he had no value, hence his act...

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... had a room “furnished with milk crates”. Outside of his “house” a professor specifically gave Chris a key for “after-hours access to the library.” (124) This life, this desire, this simplicity is exactly what Chris had an eagerness for. Being simple, cutting ties from those who cared, but moreover from society as a whole ends up being his downfall. Chris passed in a way no one should want to. The call when you need someone, when you are “NEAR DEATH, AND TOO WEAK”(12) and need that person who can support you, that person you can go to help for but because of this simplicity you have bestowed upon yourself, no one comes is truly heartbreaking. And in the end, the pressure to stay alive on this journey overshadowed the thoughts, of actually cherishing the real meaning of life. McCandless adhered to the transcendentalist ideas so much so that it ended taking his life.

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