Chris Mccandless Transcendentalism Essay

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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 …show more content…

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

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