Similarities Between Mccandless And Ralph Waldo Emerson

Transcendentalism started in the mid 1800s and emphasized one’s individual perception as priority over what society considered objective facts. It created the foundation from which authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Jack London drew inspiration, broadcasting non-conformity, a relationship with nature, and the concept of the oversoul. In the novel Into The Wild, Chris McCandless finds inspiration from these authors and the concept of transcendentalism, as a whole, and attempts to live out a similar journey in Alaska. Though there were many similarities between McCandless’ experience and the authors he admired, there was also stark contrasts due to the way that McCandless romanticized their work. Ralph Waldo Emerson,

To explain, Emerson expresses the concept of the oversoul through his desire for people to feel connection with Universal Being. For instance in the Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, which is a compilation of all of Emerson’s works created with the help of his son Edward, he once again reiterates the importance of the relationships with other human beings in order to fully immerse oneself into nature. He discusses, “Friendship is an order of nobility; from its revelations we come more worthily into nature” (Emerson, Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson 26). Indeed, Emerson continues to uphold the beliefs of the transcendentalist movement by revealing the connectedness of all people or the oversoul. However, it appears, from the way Krakauer writes about McCandless’ experience, that he instead repels the ides of social interaction and perceives it as an obstacle in his journey with nature rather than as a tool. Krakauer writes, “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way up north, and he was relieved as well-relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it” (Krakauer 55). Here, it is evident that McCandless views nature as a way out of social interaction that he sees no value in pursuing. Furthermore, Krakauer's words showcase the differences between Emerson and McCandless and how they employed the idea of the