Chris Mccandless

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After graduating college, Christopher McCandless of Annandale, Virginia cut ties with his family and friends in order to live a life closer to nature. In “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, Krakauer claims that Chris McCandless invented a new life for himself while he was searching for a “raw, transcendent experience”. In many ways, McCandless was successful in reinventing himself, he was able to achieve the transcendent life he sought after.

The definition of transcendent is “surpassing the ordinary; exceptional” and Chris McCandless’ life after graduating college was far from ordinary. Chris created a new life for himself, including a new name “No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny” (Krakauer 23). Chris wanted to be a different person, he wasn’t happy with the life he lead, “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way 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). McCandless wanted to live a life without being tied to anything or anyone and he did just that. Chris didn’t communicate with his family, not even his sister Carine with whom he had a very close relationship with. Chris was so dedicated to his reinvented life that he gave up his car, something he treasured more than any of his possessions, “He could simply abandon the Datsun and resume his odyssey on foot. And thats what he decided to do” (Krakauer 29). A big aspect that played a huge role in Chris McCandless’ life and journey to a reinvented self was the idea of conformity and his desire to non conform to society. In a letter to …show more content…
Chris was able to completely reinvent himself while searching for a “raw, transcendent

Chris Mccandless

different life, Chris McCandless sought out to find who he was, without influence. To understand the impact that transcendentalism had on Chris McCandless’ journey, I must first explain what transcendentalism is. Transcendentalism noun (an idealistic philosophical and social movement which developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism. Influenced by romanticism, Platonism, and Kantian philosophy, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity, and…

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Chris Mccandless

the film Into the Wild are extremely similar. Both film and book go in depth about the life of Chris McCandless and his two years of venturing around America. They are the same in the sense of the fact that they tell the story of this once young man and how he met his demise. However, the book lacks certain information that was seen in the film. The book is also more neutral, whereas in the movie McCandless is courageous, and passionate, and almost pitiful. The story lines, and facts are the same, but…

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Chris Mccandless Personality

Christopher McCandless, also known as Alexander Supertramp, wasn’t as crazy as everyone thought he was and his journey to Alaska clearly proved that, but he did seem incompetent and careless about his future. Christopher McCandless had an immense heart set for one dream for himself that no one could change and it was clearly demonstrated for everyone to catch a glimpse of who he actually was. For instance, Mrs. Westerberg once said that “There was something fascinating about him[Chris]” (67). It was…

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Chris Mccandless Hero

about seems to be Chris McCandless? Now the reason why, is that everyone is so fond of Chris because they feel like he is a hero for following his heart and doing something he was so determined to do. But he simply did not belong out in the wild trying to live a almost normal life. Although McCandless was a very knowledgeable person there were many instances where he acted out of only his wants and rushing to Alaska. One of those wants was getting into the wild and when Chris wandered off he traveled…

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Chris Mccandless Journey

Chris McCandless’s journey reflects a mix of seeking, escape from family issues and transcendental adventure inspired by Thoreau and Emerson. This portrays a combination of these motivations in his actions throughout his adventure. Many people believe McCandless wanted only to live a transcendental life. The article “Death of an Innocent” by Jon Krakauer states, “who hope to find their footing in the economy of the Last Frontier”. Krakauer states this to illustrate the idea that McCandless wants…

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Into The Wild Chris Mccandless

Chris McCandless was an interesting and complex person in the context of modern society. Into The Wild detailed McCandless as an accomplished college graduate with a future full of possibilities ahead of him, and who suddenly abandoned everything he had and left to travel the vast country. However, while living in Alaska by himself, he starved to death as a result of careless mistakes. His two year journey across the country and especially his escapade into Alaska drew great attention and various…

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Chris Mccandless In Into The Wild

Free: The Co-option of Chris McCandless Leaving the comfort of your home and suburbia to live in the bushes is definitely the ideal situation. The book, Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer brings up the concept of transcendentalism, an American movement from the eighteenth century through the big transcendentalists Henry Thoreau, John Muir, and Ralph Emerson. They focused on the ideas of humanities reality and place in the universe, God and nature. The main character, Chris McCandless goes into the wild to…

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Chris Mccandless Transcendentalism

Readers should not admonish Chris McCandless for how he died, but instead admire him for how he lived his life. Chris McCandless, the main character, of Jon Krakauer’s dynamic book Into The Wild finds himself giving up his good lifestyle, family, and most of his possessions by choice. In doing so, McCandless starts his great odyssey full of many adventures across the country and even further using many transcendentalism tenets. Not only is Chris McCandless a nonconformist, but his ability to get…

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Chris Mccandless Analysis

GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!”was said by Chris Mccandless before going unconsciousness in his sleeping bag and dying around August 18, 1992. Chris was part of a wealthy family with a great desire of leaving far away from the corrupted society and from his materialistic parents, by doing this, he hitchhiked alone to Alaska into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. He was a smart guy who seemed to feel lonely and empty on his finals days. I believe Chris was ignorant and bright, but I disagree he…

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Chris Mccandless Into The Wild

immature, mentally incompetent, or purely stupid are just a few words someone might use to describe Chris McCandless, but what about ambitious, brave, or determined? It is extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact adjective that could describe such a complex individual. In Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, the reader is introduced to McCandless, who is without a doubt an extremely eccentric being. McCandless is an independent young man who sets out in the world to try and find himself. This endeavour…

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