Mccandless And Transcendentalism - 1710 Words

Both Henry David Thoreau and Christopher McCandless ventured out into the woods to get away from the dreariness of everyday society and to find themselves. Only one lived to tell the tale. What was the fatal flaw of the man who didn’t continue on? The only way to find this is to analyze the differences and similarities between the two. McCandless, while embracing some of the same values as Thoreau, was ultimately a different man. While they led very contrasting lives in very distant times, both McCandless and Thoreau sought a type of freedom that can only be achieved when immersed in nature. Thoreau’s entitlement and cozy cabin in the woods is a far cry from McCandless’s constant struggle during his expedition, however, certain parallels†¦show more content†¦Ultimately, this point was never fully proven, for he didn’t make it out alive. McCandless seemed to think he could never ask for help, that he had to do everything all on his own. He establis hed his independence all throughout his life, but his voyage to Alaska was what did him in. Despite his tragic end and the extremist standpoint of his view on self-rule, McCandless’s views of self-reliance and independence from others were additionally shared by Thoreau. Thoreau, while not expressing his view as dramatically as McCandless, also viewed isolation as a positive experience. He believed in being able to be entertained even while in solitude, and that the loneliness with being â€Å"alone in a crowd† is more likely than the loneliness that comes with solitude. He believes that becoming part of the mass of society is what culminates loneliness, that the need for constant communication is no more than a need to gossip (Thoreau73). He believes that with independence, one can find oneself. Thoreau often mentions that the company of others isn’t needed, stating that if you â€Å"follow your genius closely... it will not fail to show you a fresh prospect every hour,† (Thoreau73). This means that if you rely on yourself when enveloped in boredom, you will find entertainment in something more times than not. He strongly follows this philosophy, even cleaning out his cabin or doing housework when bored (Thoreau72). Thoreau ofte n set all his furniture out on the lawn, scrubbingShow MoreRelatedMccandless Vs Transcendentalism1840 Words   |  8 PagesAlaska or Bust: The Two Men That Believed Alaska Had All the Answers As Christopher Johnson McCandless once said: â€Å"The core of mans’ spirit comes from new experiences† (Krakauer, 57). Society has given the majority of the human population a predetermined cookie-cutter lifestyle for which they must follow in order to be accepted. 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