The Individualism of Henry David Thoreau and Chris McCandless

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” In this quote, Eleanor is expressing that you should always take advantage of the universal human right to be an individual. From time immemorial, many of those who have led meaningful and enjoyable lives have shared one particular trait in common: individualism. Chris McCandless and Thoreau were no different, they both embodied individualism and as a result they have unknowingly inspired generations.

Throughout the book Into The Wild, Chris McCandless repeatedly display his individual views and traits. Chris would purposely do things that society would look down upon to emphasize the fact that he was an individual and not mindlessly following the crowd like many people do. His eagerness to break societal rules wasn’t without purpose, in fact, Chris’ life “Hummed with meaning and purpose. But the meaning he wrested from existence lay beyond the comfortable path” (Krakauer 184). The quote is explaining that everything Chris did had a purpose even though it may have seemed buried or unreachable. Even though he did not value the things that most people deem as normal, he found purpose in his journey. One important trait, which influenced his individualism, was his disregard for what others thought about him. Chris did things for himself and not to please others; this disregard for other people’s opinions was present even when he was a sophomore in high school. His sister, Carine stated, “He didn’t care that it wasn’t a cool thing to do” (Krakauer 120). She then went on to say, “He didn’t seem interested in the money so much as the fact that he was good at making it” (Krakauer 120). It can be taken fr...

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...o The Wild and Walden it was clear that individualism heavily influenced both Chris and Thoreau through their journeys. It can also be taken that the act of being your own person or an individual is one of the key parts to leading a happy and fulfilling life. Not only was this demonstrated in the books Into The Wild and Walden but also throughout history were it has always human nature to live free and as your own person. Throughout the ages, it has been seen many times that those who lead most meaningful and fulfilling lives are individualists. In order for somebody to become an individual, they have to understand what it means to be one and disregard what others may think of them.

Works Cited

Krakauer, Jon. Into The Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997

Thoreau, Henry. “Walden.” Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes, Gold Level. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005