Chris Mccandless Individualism

320 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Romanticism in britain and america

Chris McCandless, a known fan of famous transcendentalists and Romantic writers, exemplifies the three big ideas of American Romanticism to varying extents. To begin, Chris is a very independent person with ideals that align with the American Romantic idea of optimism and individualism. For example, Chris carved a paragraph into some wood that he left on the bus in which he declared that he was in a “climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual revolution” (Krakauer 163). A key component of individualism is finding one’s own truths, and what Chris carved in the bus shows that he was in Alaska to search within himself and find out what he believed, what he wanted, and what his purpose was. Furthermore,

Show More
Related

  • Epigraphs In Into The Wild

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    The epigraphs presented by Krakauer before each chapter of the memoir Into the Wild dive deep into the life of Chris McCandless before and after his journey into the Alaskan wilderness. They compare him to famous “coming of age characters” and specific ideas written by some of his favorite philosophers. These give the reader a stronger sense of who Chris was and why he made the decision to ultimately walk alone into the wild.

    Read More

  • The Success of Chris McCandless

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Into the Wild, Krakauer portrays Christopher McCandless as an infallibly eager young man hoping to distance himself from the society he so obviously loathes, to "live off the land," entirely independent of a world which has "conditioned [itself] to a life of security." Chris, contrarily to this depiction, is disparagingly viewed by some as a "reckless idiot" who lacked the sense he needed to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. This derogatory assessment of Chris's mindset is representative of the society he hopes to escape and contains all the ignorance that causes him to feel this way. Nevertheless, he is misjudged by these critics, allowing Krakauer to hold the more accurate interpretation of Chris's character, his goals, and his accomplishments.

    Read More

  • Chris Tolstoy Quotes

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    In one the passage was highlighted in the book “Family Happiness” that Chris brought with, the author Leo Tolstoy talked about how a person's life should be. “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. … which found no outlet in our quiet life.” (p.15) Tolstoy explained how a life should be excited and interesting not just living day by day without any enjoyment. Chris followed his beliefs. He believes that he should live a life that he would not regret later on. That could be one of his reason he was going into the wild to make an excited life. Another passage was also found with McCandless’s belongings is from Henry David Thoreau’ “Walden”. “All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. … a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.” (p.47) This passage explains the fact that happiness can found in nature. McCandless wanted to found his purpose of his life and Thoreau stated about the importance of the nature. And McCandless believed Thoreau. If Chris McCandless had believed some authors, he would follows that in his whole

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chris McCandless: a man so infatuated with nature, he practically committed suicide to bring himself nearer to it. This extreme liking for nature, along with other ideals, makes up the core tenets of the transcendentalist philosophy. McCandless demonstrates other tenets of transcendentalism as well, most notably the supremacy of the individual, by detaching himself from the mammon of this world. Another way he shows the supremacy of the individual, by the belief that one should not conform to the usual policies of life, causes him great trouble in some cases. As well as the belief that the individual supersedes all else, McCandless received much of his inspiration from nature. Finally, always following what he believes correct, McCandless follows his own intuition to the point of death. Chris McCandless not only shows his transcendentalist beliefs by the way he acts and thinks, but also by how these actions and thoughts emulate those of the fathers of transcendentalism, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    Read More

  • Trancendentalism: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Chris McCandless

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    McCandless was also a follower of transcendentalism. He read the works of transcendental authors thought similarly to them. On his Alaskan...

    Read More

  • Chris Mccandless

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    Definition of a seeker= someone who looks outwards and goes on a physical or mental journey to find something hidden about themselves or something.

    Read More

  • Humility In Jon Krakauer's Into The Wild

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    He went through many obstacles that could have proved fatal. From canoeing in the Colorado River to picking the right berries, he was testing his intelligence. Chris had a true confidence in the land and in himself to set out on a mission so dangerous. “Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult that he frequently made of his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exaltation” (Nash; Krakauer 157). Chris longed to escape from society and rely on only mother nature. An innumerable amount of people desire to withdraw from society as Chris did; but they are so comfortable and secure with a normal life they do not dare take such a gutsy

    Read More

  • Mccandless Essay: Chris Mccandless

    1094 Words  | 3 Pages

    Was he a reckless idiot? That is the big question. This is what people always seem to talk about when they talk about Chris McCandless. There are many people who think that Chris McCandless was a reckless idiot who was mentally ill, or something else was wrong with Chris. It seems that almost everybody that met Chris thought maybe Chris was crazy or had problems. Here are just a few things that people said about Chris and his state of mind. Pg 40 Zarza admits saying, "he was always going on about trees and nature and weird stuff like that. We all thought he was missing a few screws. Pg 42 Charlie said, "seemed like a kid who was looking for something." Pg 45 Burres said "I thought Alex had lost his mind when he told us about his 'great Alaskan odyssey, ' as he called it."

    Read More

  • Conformity In Chris Mccandless, By Chris Mccandless

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless does not wish to follow defined life structure that society enforces to simply be alive, instead, he chooses to take a seek a path to live a life with purpose. Such an eagerness to seek detachment from what is expected by society, is enforced by not only McCandless but also Thoreau. A primary factor resembling this, is McCandless’ view that many people “live within unhappy circumstances...yet will not change…they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism...damaging to the adventurous spirit(40).” The detesting tone risen through the confliction of “unhappy circumstances” and “damage,” to “safety, conformity and conservation,” emphasis his will to separate from a lifestyle lacking change. This is done

    Read More

  • Chris Mccandless Neutrality In The Wild

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the summer of 1992, a moose hunter finds the decomposed body of Chris Mccandless on the Stampede Trail, a popular hunting spot in the wilds of Alaska. A few months later, an aspiring writer for Outsider magazine writes an article over the discovery. This article it the spark that ignites Krakauer's interest in the life of Chris Mccandless. Chris Mccandless was born to an upper mid class family and always had money and nice things as a child. Through high school he keeps money in stock and is happy adding to his supply. In the beginning of his college career he keeps this point of view but towards the end he has a change of heart and realizes the evil that money can insure to its holder. This change of heart is not long lived because in a year or so, Chris has the epiphany that money only causes evil in the hands of the greedy and seems to come to an equilibrium with money. He only makes what he needs and not a cent more. Chris Mccandless, aka Alexander Supertramp, has many different revelations on money, but after it is all said and done, Chris comes to a point of neutrality with money.

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless: Brave, Independent, and Courageous

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, was a very interesting story about a young man going to live out in the wild of Alaska. This young mans name is Chris McCandless also known as Alex Supertramp. He had a lot of courage to go out this trip facing the wild. He has set high hopes for how young he is. Graduating college than leaving directly after graduating and burned all of his money and left his car and most possessions behind. His bravery definitely had a big impact on the story. With his bravery, it seemed like he has done this before and has no weariness. Chris was very independent on his trip. He received little help from people. He got work a few times to buy gear for his trip to Alaska, other than that he was either hitch hiking or walking.

    Read More

  • Christopher McCandless: An Admirable Man

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1992, Christopher McCandless set off on an odyssey into the backcountry of Alaska, an adventure that had proved fatal. After McCandless's corpse was found, Jon Krakauer wrote an article on the story of Chris McCandless, which was released in the January 1993 issue of Outside magazine. The article had received a negative response; several readers criticized McCandless for being foolish and ill-prepared, and showed no sympathy or remorse for his death. McCandless has been referred to as a nut, a kook, and a fool. However, McCandless was not a nonsensical man. In 1996, Jon Krakauer's novel, Into the Wild, was published. The novel uncovers more detail of McCandless's story. Into the Wild rebuts the idea of McCandless being someone who is foolish, and speaks of the many occasions where McCandless has demonstrated great perseverance and determination. The novel also proves the intelligence of McCandless, and brings insight into McCandless's psyche. The following examples will illustrate how McCandless was not a fool, but someone to admire.

    Read More

  • Chris McCandless: A True Hero

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chris McCandless is regarded as being something as a spiritual figure almost as a cult hero, some call him a disillusioned fool, some call him a great adventurer, and the debate still continues. As Matthew Power calls in his article, an article where he tells the story of McCandless,“The debate falls into two camps: Krakauer's visionary seeker, the tragic hero who dared to live the unmediated life he had dreamed of and died trying; or, as many Alaskans see it, the unprepared fool, a greenhorn who had fundamentally misjudged the wilderness he'd wanted so desperately to commune with.” Like so many stories covering Christopher McCandless’ death, both ends of the argument are discussed in an unfavored manner in the hopes to help develop an opinion on the McCandless story. This open ended question can only be answered open-endedly based on what the readers base for themselves as covered stories intend. Like Power has done, ...

    Read More

  • Use of Literary Techniques in Into The Wild, by John Krakauer

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    The author skillfully uses literary techniques to convey his purpose of giving life to a man on an extraordinary path that led to his eventual demise and truthfully telling the somber story of Christopher McCandless. Krakauer enhances the story by using irony to establish Chris’s unique personality. The author also uses Characterization the give details about Chris’s lifestyle and his choices that affect his journey. Another literary element Krakauer uses is theme. The many themes in the story attract a diverse audience. Krakauer’s telling is world famous for being the truest, and most heart-felt account of Christopher McCandless’s life. The use of literary techniques including irony, characterization and theme help convey the authors purpose and enhance Into The Wild.

    Read More

  • The Foolish Christopher McCandless of Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1990, when he was 22 years old, Christopher McCandless ventured out into the Alaska wilderness in search for true happiness, and 2 years later he suffered a tragic death. An aspiring writer, Jon Krakauer, found McCandless’ story fascinating and chose to dedicate 3 years of his life to write a novel about him. The book entitled “Into the Wild” tells the tale of Christopher McCandless, an ill prepared transcendentalist longing for philosophical enrichment, who naïvely, failed to consider the dangers of isolating himself from human society for such a long period of time. Though Christopher McCandless made a courageous attempt to separate himself from society, in order to achieve self-fulfillment, the stubborn nature of this reckless greenhorn led him to his unfortunate demise.

    Read More

More about Chris Mccandless Individualism

Open Document