The novel, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, was inspired by the life of Christopher McCandless. McCandless was a young man living in suburbia who was discontent with his way of life. After graduating from college, McCandless decided to travel to Alaska and experience the “Great Frontier”. While in Alaska McCandless was ecstatic at first. For the first time in his life he feels as if he is connecting with nature and living a meaningful life. One of McCandless favorite pass times was to read transcendental writers such as Emerson and Thoreau. McCandless was interested in how these authors wrote about their connection with nature. His trip to Alaska was driven by the transcendental spirit instilled in him by such authors.
At one point on his journey McCandless connects with this quote from, “Nature”. “To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of he man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.” (Emerson 29). McCandless particularly connected with this quote because he detested what modern society had become. He would argue that modern society is too wrapped up in consumerism to see what is really beautiful in this world. In this quote Emerson is saying that individuals can not see nature or the sun. The sun is fundamental to the existence of human life. Individuals have become so distracted that the sun has been forgotten along with all other natural elements. McCandless wanted to remove himself from this type of society in order to gain understanding. In Emerson’s famous “transparent eyeball” passage he uses metaphors to demonstrate how he loses himself in nature. “In the woods too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough,” (Emerson 29). This is what McCandless was seeking by deserting himself in the Alaskan wilderness. In order for himself to gain insight he needed to be closer to nature, and to be closer to nature he needed to shed the weight of modern society. McCandless wanted to discard all of his notions of modern society and just become an observer of nature.
Emerson’s writings about nature was a huge inspiration for McCandless’ spiritual journey. “In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, -he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me” (Emerson 29). McCandless’ journey into the wilderness was ultimately fatal. Despite the grim ending McCandless found true happiness during his intercourse with nature. McCandless’ hamartia was that he was so blinded by the spirit of nature that he forgot nature is an omnipotent force that can be very unforgiving.
I did not know about the connection between Christopher McCandless and Thoreau’s writings. It is very interesting and appropriate, however, that Chris drew inspiration from Thoreau. I agree with the idea that you need to shed to remnants of modern society in order to truly find yourself and be at peace with it. I wouldn’t necessarily say the outcome of McCandless’ experience was completely grim, for there are many people who live long into old age and never find themselves, or even look for that matter.
Fantastic film, and thanks for drawing the connection between it and Thoreau and Emerson. One question I have for you concerning your blog post: why do you think McCandless had to go to the wilderness backcountry of Alaska whereas Emerson went to the town’s “bare common” and Thoreau to just a mile outside Concord? That is, do you think McCandless might have been misreading Thoreau and Walden or do we really all need to go to the wilderness (as in the backcountry, not the wilderness that Emerson writes about) to have transparent eyeball experiences?
Wow thanks ! I can’t believe I haven’t thought of Into the wild before in relation to the course. It is one of my favorite movies. I love how he was inspired by his readings to create his own experience, and not found his reasonning on their experience.
I liked reading this post and the perspective it brings, talking about someone inspired by both of whom we’ve been reading and how it drove Krakeuer to search for a similiar understanding. I like how as we read about transcendentalist personalities, there seems to be this theme of taking inspiration from past works and ideas, and really using them as a platform to jump into their own experience aka perception which is critical since the central theme is departing from regular perception and “seeing” with an unaltered, pure type of percieveing. It’s probably hard for people who want to follow the transcendental tradition to feel like they truly understand its lessons without doing something extreme to test themselves like live in an isolated place in Alaska. I like the way you put it, that Krakueur felt like he had to “desert himself” or at least a part of himself to “see” something beyond.
I think that Chris did not read Emerson and Thoreau extremely literally. He most likely took the largest ideas to heart and planned his own journey. I think Chris chose Alaska because that was where he wanted to have his great spiritual awakening. Maybe Chris wanted to get as far away from civilization as he could imagine, and Alaska was the perfect place. I don’t think that we all need to get this removed to have a “transparent eyeball” experience. I think Chris wanted to permanently distance himself from society and have the ultimate experience with nature.