How Did Leo Tolstoy Influence Chris McCandless?

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“The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” (Chris McCandless) This was said by McCandless because he could not find happiness from his family so he went out to go find happiness. The book Into the Wild, by John Krakauer, was a book about a person named Chris McCandless, who could not find happiness from his family because they always provided him with all the materials he needed. This caused him to go out for an adventure or to the wild in Alaska. While on his journey, he had read books finding self- definition and so he used the authors from the book as literary heroes to get him past the journey. He was really inspired by the writers. With the inspiration he was set out to find happiness, and so he went into the wild. It is where he spent the rest of his days until he died because of poisoning. Many of his literary heroes inspired him to do what he did, but one stands out the most. Leo Tolstoy, who is considered to be one of the best novelists, Leo really inspired Chris because they had a life that they could relate. He also appreciated him because he had realistic views of the life. Chris McCandless needed inspiration for his adventure, so he looked up to the literary heroes as his guidance to the wild.

Chris McCandless went into the adventure, not knowing what to do. He looked up his literary heroes for inspiration, and one that he mostly looked up to was Leo Tolstoy. He looked up to Leo because they both were accustomed to nearly the same way of life. For Example, “accustomed to calli...

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...ation from Leo made the journey for Chris lasting. Leo’s great inspiration for Chris made him go further and further, without his help, would he have gotten happiness, we do not know. All we know is that he had died happily.

Words Cited

"Christopher McCandlessaka Alexander Supertramp." Chris McCandless Now I Walk Into The Wild Biography. Adam Read, n.d. Web. 16 May 2014. .

Merriman, C.D.. "Leo Tolstoy." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online . Discuss.. Jalic INC., 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 16 May 2014. .

House, Random. "Jon Krakauer." Jon Krakauer. Random House, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 16 May 2014. .

Krakauer, Jon. Into the wild. New York: Anchor Books , a division of Random House Inc.,, 1997. Print.

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