Chris Mccandless Transcendentalism Essay

Transcendentalism to some is may just be a long, lengthy word coined two hundred years ago that is not used today, but to other people, people like Chris McCandless, it is a way of life. They use these qualities to shape their life and strive hard to follow them. Chris McCandless was so focused on embodying the qualities of transcendentalism that he failed to see how much danger he was putting himself in. He had little to no common sense as shown by Westerberg. “But there were gaps in his thinking. I remember once I went over to the house, walked into the kitchen, and noticed a god-awful stink. I mean it smelled nasty in there. I opened the microwave, and the bottom of it was filled with rancid grease. Alex had been using it to cook chicken, and it never occurred to him that the grease had to drain somewhere. It wasn’t that he was too lazy to clean it up- Alex always kept things real neat and orderly- it was just that he hadn’t noticed the grease” (Krakauer 45). McCandless embodied the values of transcendentalism by believing in living closer to nature, believing in the dignity of manual labor, and being self reliant.

Chris McCandless, all throughout his Alaskan adventure, showed the transcendental quality of striving to live closer to nature. One great

example of this is when Chris chose to live in the bajada out past Oh-My-God hot springs. He slept “on the sand under a tarp hung from a creosote branch” (Krakauer 35). He could have slept with the other vagabonds in the springs, but he chose to travel another half mile past the springs because he wanted to live as close to nature as possible. McCandless even told Ronald Franz not to worry about him because “I’m not a destitute. I’m living like this by choice” (Krakauer 36.) Another example of this is his living in the bus in Alaska, especially the last few weeks of his life. Though there were four cabins within a four mile radius of the bus, McCandless yearned to live off the land; isolated and without help. “But despite the relative proximity of the bus to civilization, for all practical purposes McCandless was cut off from the rest of the world. And during that period (four months) he didn’t encounter another living soul” (Krakauer 113). He risked his life by living in that bus when he quite possibly could have gotten help, but Chris would not have wanted it any other way.
McCandless also showed the transcendental quality of respecting manual labor and most definitely was not afraid to get his hands dirty; working diligently at every job he was given. This determination showed through his work with Wayne Westerberg. Westerberg said “He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. 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. And he never quit in the middle of something. If he started a job, he’d finish it. It was almost like a moral thing for him. He was what you’d call extremely ethical. He set pretty high standards for himself” (Krakauer 15). Another example of McCandless’s work ethic is when Chris worked at McDonald’s. Although Chris was slow at his job, he always showed up to work and did his best to get the job done. He even wore socks when they irritated him because he knew it was part of the dress code and respected it.
McCandless, in addition to embodying the transcendental qualities of striving to be closer to nature and respecting manual labor, also shows the transcendental quality of self-reliance. He showed numerous times throughout the novel that he could survive on his own; not needing the help of others to do so. He refused help or any possessions from the people he met along the way, determined to do and provide everything he needed by himself. This is shown when Westerburg offers to buy a plane ticket for Chris, who, in turn, refuses and claims “it would be cheating”. This is also shown when Jan Burres offers an array of supplies to Chris, who leaves it in the car.
I am very glad I had the opportunity to read Krakauer’s novel about Chris McCandless and how he lived his life through transcendental qualities, including living closer to nature, appreciating manual labor, and being self-reliant.

Into the Wild was a really interesting nonfiction piece that really opened my eyes to the harsh realities of Alaska through the adventures and events of Chris McCandless’s life and taught me about appreciating what I have, especially my family, but not to settle into a routine and ordinary life. I need to get out of my comfort zone and try new things to find who I am. Maybe not by abandoning everything I know, but I realized it is important to challenge myself every once in

awhile.
Even though I probably won’t drop all my possessions and hitchhike to Alaska like Chris McCandless did, I do agree with the idea of transcendentalism and the qualities of it. I enjoyed the way transcendentalism made me think and re examine my life and what I choose to hold on to. If anything, transcendentalism taught me to appreciate nature with the beauty and danger it holds. An example of a transcendental quality in my life that particularly makes me agree with transcendentalism itself and its qualities is believing in the dignity of manual labor. I am not afraid to do whatever work I need to get a job done, whatever that job may be. Another quality of transcendentalism that affects my everyday life is seeing the need for intellectual companions. I think that having people to share your triumphs, your sadness, your anger; it’s a necessity of life. It’s my belief that one cannot live a life fully without someone to share it with, especially someone that shares your views and beliefs.