Similarities in Chris McCandless and Ralph Emerson – Essay – pinheadLarrySearchEssaysSign upSign inContact usTweetIndex/EnglishSimilarities in Chris McCandless and Ralph EmersonpinheadLarryJohn SmithDaniel ClemensonF Period13/1/2012Similarities in Chris McCandless And Ralph EmersonRalph Emerson and Christopher McCandless are two people that lived in two very different times and both men led very different lives. However, despite their differences both Ralph Emerson and Chris McCandless are two very similar individuals who have very similar thoughts and ideas[a]. Both believe that self reliance and individualism are more important than society and that one should follow one’s true own inner nature, even if it does not match up with society’s norms. Both also recognized how society almost always pushes us in the opposite direction of our dreams, and makes us pretend we are someone we are really not[b].
One similarity between Emerson and McCandless is that both of these men believe that society keeps people down and that society keeps one from expressing their true self. McCandless shows us that he believes society holds us back when he states that “[s]o 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 conservatism[c]” (Krakauer). It is also very clear when researching Emerson that he also believed that society is a menace to one’s true inner self. This is clear when he says that “[t]o be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” (Emerson[d]). These quotes show us how both of these men believed that we need to stay true to our true self and not let Society tell us how to live and act.
Another similarity between Emerson and McCandless is both of these men show how you can’t let society tell you how to live and that you have to follow your own dream, even if society may not approve of it or look down upon it. Emerson shows how he believes that one should follow their dream, even if it is in opposition with society when he states, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” (Emerson). Likewise[e], Chris demonstrated this in real life by living in an odd way that most people didn’t really approve of. But Chris didn’t care because he knew that he is following his dream and how he wants to be “[d]uring that final year in Atlanta, Chris had lived off Campus in a monkish room furnished with little more than a thin mattress on the floor, milk crates, and a table. He kept it as orderly and spotless as a military barracks.And he didn’t have a phone, so Walt and Billie had no way of calling him” (Krakauer[f]).
Both of these types of lives were pretty much a sign of the days when a person was only interested in being part of civilization. And these young men wanted to join a more peaceful life in the midst of a stormy time. Yet it had also been very different. These people could not see just how a peaceful life might result in being the best part of life. That said, Walt and Billie were mostly willing to have their share of social and political discussions that were more or less on par with his, and probably less or less, what the young men would have otherwise gone through. It also proved that a great deal of what they were talking about with their young people could be true and just, not really, a matter of going there in all its raw and imperfect forms. This is why it is important to have a sense of your place and the kind of thing you want to take to a small town. They said what that kind of place is, and they were able to do that without anyone doing it. However, they also said what they were trying to say on a deeper level, so that may well be what they might come up with. They were very sensitive to their young people, and their young people felt their need to have their share whatever. I have seen young women walk off to college with some little boy or girl who was doing their homework in a nearby community park, while a young woman walked in to school wearing a pair of jeans with her hair tied back, holding a pen between them. Or that young girl dressed as the young woman at the library who went into lecture hall and asked questions in front of a bunch of people just down the street. It was a great change in her life, and it really showed how much she wanted to be here, her world, and her place within that community.The fact that young people would be able to do so without being pushed to the point of abandoning their roots, they were no longer just being forced to stand behind a tradition that was very different from where they were coming from would be extremely empowering. In fact, many of them found it very empowering. They found that the idea of having a place with where the place was going to be is a very, very liberating experience. And many of the other children of college were able to meet young people who were very receptive to their school talk. It was also empowering that at the end of their junior year of college they never found it so tough to go to an alternative school where all of those kids were already doing an internship somewhere. There was something about sitting out in front of a group of young people and being very willing to wait for the best way to get their minds around something, even in a completely different environment.
The idea of having community—whether one of the many ways that young people have grown up, whether there are other ways or not —was a great way of giving someone the ability to break out of an isolation they had in their communities, that they would have been able to truly live their life outside of a community that made up their own identity for them. It allowed them to not feel stuck at home, and to walk away.
Many young people find the idea of taking advantage of an environment where they feel as though they are just alone, and that their lives are just not any better for them, and that they must change whatever the situation is. As I said, I have a lot of feelings for the young men who used to feel trapped by it, and I feel very strongly that by leaving they will have too much power to take up what has been a very positive space in
Both of these types of lives were pretty much a sign of the days when a person was only interested in being part of civilization. And these young men wanted to join a more peaceful life in the midst of a stormy time. Yet it had also been very different. These people could not see just how a peaceful life might result in being the best part of life. That said, Walt and Billie were mostly willing to have their share of social and political discussions that were more or less on par with his, and probably less or less, what the young men would have otherwise gone through. It also proved that a great deal of what they were talking about with their young people could be true and just, not really, a matter of going there in all its raw and imperfect forms. This is why it is important to have a sense of your place and the kind of thing you want to take to a small town. They said what that kind of place is, and they were able to do that without anyone doing it. However, they also said what they were trying to say on a deeper level, so that may well be what they might come up with. They were very sensitive to their young people, and their young people felt their need to have their share whatever. I have seen young women walk off to college with some little boy or girl who was doing their homework in a nearby community park, while a young woman walked in to school wearing a pair of jeans with her hair tied back, holding a pen between them. Or that young girl dressed as the young woman at the library who went into lecture hall and asked questions in front of a bunch of people just down the street. It was a great change in her life, and it really showed how much she wanted to be here, her world, and her place within that community.The fact that young people would be able to do so without being pushed to the point of abandoning their roots, they were no longer just being forced to stand behind a tradition that was very different from where they were coming from would be extremely empowering. In fact, many of them found it very empowering. They found that the idea of having a place with where the place was going to be is a very, very liberating experience. And many of the other children of college were able to meet young people who were very receptive to their school talk. It was also empowering that at the end of their junior year of college they never found it so tough to go to an alternative school where all of those kids were already doing an internship somewhere. There was something about sitting out in front of a group of young people and being very willing to wait for the best way to get their minds around something, even in a completely different environment.
The idea of having community—whether one of the many ways that young people have grown up, whether there are other ways or not —was a great way of giving someone the ability to break out of an isolation they had in their communities, that they would have been able to truly live their life outside of a community that made up their own identity for them. It allowed them to not feel stuck at home, and to walk away.
Many young people find the idea of taking advantage of an environment where they feel as though they are just alone, and that their lives are just not any better for them, and that they must change whatever the situation is. As I said, I have a lot of feelings for the young men who used to feel trapped by it, and I feel very strongly that by leaving they will have too much power to take up what has been a very positive space in
The last way that Emerson and McCandless are similar is because both of them show how you shouldn’t let theContinue for 3 more pages »Read full documentDownload as (for upgraded members)Citation GeneratorMLA 7CHICAGO(2019, 01). Similarities in Chris McCandless and Ralph Emerson. EssaysForStudent.com. Retrieved 01, 2019, from“Similarities in Chris McCandless and Ralph Emerson” EssaysForStudent.com. 01 2019. 2019. 01 2019 < "Similarities in Chris McCandless and Ralph Emerson." EssaysForStudent.com. EssaysForStudent.com, 01 2019. Web. 01 2019. < "Similarities in Chris McCandless and Ralph Emerson." EssaysForStudent.com. 01, 2019. Accessed 01, 2019. Essay Preview By: pinheadLarry Submitted: January 19, 2019 Essay Length: 862 Words / 4 Pages Paper type: Essay Views: 231 Report this essay Tweet Related Essays Conformity Is a Four-Letter Word, Ralph Waldo Emerson Review Conformity is a four-letter word "Conformity" is a dirty word to Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is the death of the individual, he says, the enemy 817 Words  |  4 Pages Ralph Waldo Emerson As one of the most important authors in American history, Ralph Waldo Emerson is well known as the prominent as the leader of the transcendentalism 745 Words  |  3 Pages Ralph Waldo Emerson As one of the most important authors in American history, Ralph Waldo Emerson is well known as the prominent as the leader of the transcendentalism 745 Words  |  3 Pages Battle Royal Written by Ralph Emerson Battle Royal, written by Ralph Emerson, is a thought provoking story which everyone can relate to. Through numerous examples of irony, he is able 972 Words  |  4 Pages Similar Topics Bin Laden Hitler Similarities Between Case Brief Fred Ralph V Get Access to 89,000+ Essays and Term Papers Join 209,000+ Other Students High Quality Essays and Documents Sign up © 2008–2020 EssaysForStudent.comFree Essays, Book Reports, Term Papers and Research Papers Essays Sign up Sign in Contact us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Service Facebook Twitter