Pursuit of Self-Realization in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild: A Transcendental Perspective

Abstract

Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild (2007), set in Alaska in the north west extremity of the United States, deals with the biography of Christopher McCandless, a young man who chronicles his journey alone in the Alaskan wild in the pursuit of self- realization. This work concentrates on the transcendentalism which is crucial for this research as the protagonist was influenced by this philosophy. The research also illustrates the perspectives of great philosophers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau who emphasized affinity to nature for the understanding of ultimate mysteries of the world. Thus, the transcendental approach suggested by Emerson and Thoreau is adopted as the major tool to cope with the issues raised in the work. The research further studies and compares attitudes and beliefs of Thoreau and Chris regarding self-reliance and society. Ultimately, the research concludes the notion of personal freedom from the point of view of transcendentalism, using the journey of self-discovery and self-reliance.