Individualism In Into The Wild

Chris McCandless and Henry David Thoreau both live to embrace the religious, philosophical, and literacy movements of being transcendentalists. Transcendentalism arose in the 19th century and let many people embrace their self-wisdom, individualism, and nature. In the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, and Thoreau’s excerpts from Walden, it is very clear that Chris’s beliefs and Thoreau’s beliefs have a lot in common. The connections show through both Chris’s and Thoreau’s self-wisdom, individualism, and nature.
The first Transcendental belief Chris McCandless embraces is self-wisdom. In one of Chris’s letters to Ron he explains to him that to find self-wisdom, people do not have to be in conformity with society. Chris writes,” So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not change… because they are conditioned to a life of security and conformity… but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirt within a more than a secure future” (Krakauer 57). Chris’s meaning by this is that if

someone is unhappy, than they need to change and stop being in conformity and be who they want to be. This also relates to Thoreau because he once tries to find his self-wisdom by living alone in the woods as an experiment. In Walden he writes,” I wished to live deliberately… I do not wish to live what was not life… I want to live deep and suck out all the marror of life” (Thoreau). Both Chris and Thoreau seek self-wisdom by living life as they want too, which for them meant that being conformity with society was not what they wanted. Thoreau also believes that finding self-wisdom is the first step in becoming a Transcendentalist. Another Transcendental connection between Chris McCandless and Thoreau is being individualist.
The second Transcendental belief Chris McCandless embraces is individualism. Chris gives up all of his identification cards, licenses, and also his cell phone, so the only way to reach him is through writing him letters. Chris explains to Gallien that, “How he feeds himself is none of the governments business” (Krakauer 6). Chris’s meaning that he wants to be alone and he does not want people to know where he is. This relates to Thoreau because he also embraces his individuality. Thoreau writes,” If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer… let him step to the music as he hears it” (Thoreau). Thoreau means that if people do not want to be like the others, than be an individualist. Both Chris and Thoreau discover their individuality by being themselves and not being like others. The next Transcendental connection between Chris and Thoreau is being one with nature.
The third Transcendental belief in becoming a transcendentalist is being one with nature.

Chris writes in his journal:
TWO YEARS HE WALKS THE EARTH, NO PHONE, NO POOL, NO PETS, NO CIGARETTES. ULTIMATE FREEDOM… AN AESTHETIC VOYAGER WHOSE HOME IS THE ROAD…AND NOW AFTER TWO RAMBLING YEARS COMES THE FINAL AND GREATEST ADVENTURE… TEN DAYS AND NIGHTS OF FREIGHT TRAINS AND HITCHHIKING BRING HIM TO THE GREAT WHITE NORTH… NO LONGER TO BE POISONED BY CIVILIZATION HE FLEES, AND WALKS ALONE UPON THE LAND TO BECOME LOST IN THE WILD. (Krakauer 163)
Chris means that he will be alone in the wild, just simply him and nature. This also relates to Thoreau because he also was one with nature. Thoreau writes,” I went to the woods because I wish to live intentally, to front only the essential facts of life” (Thoreau). Both Chris and Thoreau clasp being one with nature by actually going into the wild to live. This is how Chris and Thoreau become one with

nature.
Becoming a transcendentalist, is the biggest dream Chris McCandless and Henry David Thoreau both have for themselves. They achieve their goals by embracing three important beliefs. They both seek self-wisdom, individualist, and nature. This is how Chris McCandless and Henry David Thoreau’s beliefs connect with each other.