Into the Wild Individuality Essay - 1630 Words

Into the Wild People are often told to be themselves as a way of embracing their uniqueness. This seems to not be true since conformity and lack of individualism is a big issue with society. The issue of what led Christopher McCandless, main character from Into the Wild by John Krakauer, to go on a search to find himself. In the author’s note of the novel, Krakauer introduces the term ‘schools of thought’. In the case of this book, there are two; one being that some people said it was a suicide mission and the other being that others disagreed saying he was ambitious. The story demonstrates one man’s attempt to define a lifestyle and find meaning in his life that came from something outside materialistic and civilized contemporary†¦show more content†¦The young man was trying to make an effort to have Ron change his way of living. He felt that he could enjoy his life more if he was more adventurous about it. Not only was he making a change in his own lifestyle, but he was also trying to make others realize that they should do the same. Chris wanted people to embrace who they were, rather than going with the flow and conforming to what society thought they should be. When Chris first started his adventure into the wild, he rejected the materialism of contemporary society and undertook his journey to find meaning and define identity in nature. He believes that he does not need anything more than what he can run with on his back. There has always been a vision set by the people around him of what he has to achieve in his life. His parents constantly reiterated the fact that after graduating from college, he must attend law school and become a lawyer. In their eyes, that is the definition of success. This package of success that has been pushed on Chris his entire life kept him from being able to find his true self. In an attempt to find out who he really is, Chris decides to leave everything he has ever known to find himself. For him, finding himself and embracing his individuality would be what made himShow MoreRelatedNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlett Letter Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagesher literary creator. Through the portrayal of The Scarl et Letter’s Pearl, Nathaniel Hawthorne argues for the importance of individuality, the supremacy of nature over civilization, and the wisdom of children. Together, these transcendentalist principles function together to make Pearl a fitting representation of Hawthorne’s themes and ideologies. Pearl’s individuality, symbolized in dress and epitomized by behavior, opposes Puritan conformity and thus supports Hawthorne’s transcendentalistRead MoreWho Was Alex Supertramp?983 Words   |  4 Pages Who was Alex Supertramp? Alex Supertramp was merely an alias, or perhaps it was one of the numerous facets of Christopher McCandless. 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Moreover,Read MoreThe Five Is of of Transcendentalism in the Modern Day1187 Words   |  5 Pagesa substantial issue in the novel Into the Wild. The author Jon Krakauer admitted So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which man appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the spirit within a man than a secure future (56). Drunken Soldier and Into the Wild correlate due to what Emerson pointed outRead MoreChris McCandless’ Similarities to Ralph Waldo Emerson751 Words   |  3 Pagesof finding one’s own personal understanding of the universe. In another one of Emerson’s works he presents the over-soul-- which goes into deeper detail of the unity of God, man and nature. 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