Thoreau and Into the Wild Assignment

Chris McCandless and Henry David Thoreau

Many consider Henry David Thoreau a transcendentalist. Transcendentalists were critics of their contemporary society for its unthinking conformity, and they urged that each person find "an original relation to the universe."  Thoreau sought this relation in solitude amidst nature, and in his writing. By immersing himself in nature, Thoreau hoped to gain a more objective understanding of society through personal introspection. Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other goals. As Thoreau made clear in his book, Walden, his cabin was not in wilderness but at the edge of town, about two miles from his family home.  A copy of Walden was discovered in the bus where Chris was found, and Krakauer quoted from Thoreau's works in his novel about McCandless.

Compare and contrast the beliefs of Thoreau in his excerpt of Walden and the beliefs of McCandless in Krakauer’s Into the Wild.  Do you believe McCandless followed in Thoreau’s footsteps? Why or why not?

Guidelines:

         *You should respond to the question above.
         *You may draw upon your personal experience and opinions, but you             MUST also include quotations from both works in your initial post.
          *Your response must be 400 words long
          *Think about the complexities of the topic and show evidence of                      higher level thinking.
           *Spelling and grammar counts!  Proofread.