Chris Mccandless Is A Transcendentalist In Chris Mccandless

Transcendentalism is living and communicating simply and in nature to find yourself. Chris McCandless can been seen as a transcendentalist in the book Into the Wild. Jon Krakauer tells the story of Christopher McCandless, who in June of 1990, set out on an adventure around the continent. After traveling all over and living on his own for two years, Chris decides to hitchhike up north to live off the Alaskan land, 4 months later, Christopher was found dead. Though Chris’s adventure was fatal, his beliefs and actions throughout the book were undoubtable those of a transcendentalist.
Chris McCandless is believed to be a transcendentalist for many reasons one of them being his self reliance. One of the main concepts of transcendentalism is relying
He chose to live deliberately to find real happiness. While living in college, Chris lived off campus in a spartan like apartment, with a couple of crates, electricity and water. After graduating college, he left behind a middle class life full of education and materialistic items to set out on a adventure that would allow him to go into the wild to find his true self. What most people in society would call crazy. A quote from Henry David Thoreau says, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” (Walden) Thoreau is saying that people should live a simple life, with out the material possessions controlling their happiness. Chris understood that materialism doesn’t create real happiness and satisfaction. He gave up the comfort of his home to go out to the wild. He gives away his possessions, something society values too much . He gives his money to charity and burns the money he has left in his wallet. He began a simply life hitchhiking, finding food and shelter in the wild and being adventurous with the land and sights around him. In this way making a statement that he rejects the social views and values of property in the search of a higher purpose within
Along with many of Chris’ books, Walden, a book about reflection of simple living immersed in nature, was found among his belongings giving people a better understanding to Chris’ mind. “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth”(Chapter 18, Walden); this passage was highlighted in Chris’ copy of the book in which he wrote “TRUTH” on top of it. These words represent the morals he preached and practiced. The “truth” for him was an answer he wanted to know to uncover his purpose in life. The truth of life and existence is only achievable through personal satisfaction of goals and breaking away from the expectations of society. Chris was not one to stand by and let society define his path instead he took control of his own destiny and found his own “truth”.
In all, Chris McCandless should be considered a transcendentalist. He chose to live a life of simplicity, with a spartan apartment and living in woods, lived a simply life in an off campus apartment until he left to live of the land in the Alaskan wilderness and rely on himself and his skills and talents to make it. Although, he was unfortunate and did not live to tell his story, his beliefs and ideas will be remembered as those of a transcendentalist. Someone who believes in living and communicating simply and in nature to find