Who Was Alex Supertramp - 983 Words

Who was Alex Supertramp? Alex Supertramp was merely an alias, or perhaps it was one of the numerous facets of Christopher McCandless. Mccandless’s life was documented in the national bestselling novel Into the Wild, authored by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in Georgia, Chris decided to abandon all of his nonessential materialistic possessions and surrender to his desire of living in the Alaskan wilderness. There is an abundance of words that can be used to describe Chris McCandless, some of which may include perplexing, an extremist, obdurate, persistent, diligent, perspicacious, and so on. However, there is only one word that comes to mind when describing Chris’s ideology: Transcendentalism. This philosophy is based on the premise that in order to fathom the nature of truth, an individual must first evaluate the logical basis that governs the nature of practical knowledge. Christopher McCandless can be considered a transcendentalist due to the fa ct that he idolized other transcendentalists and their principles. He believed that all knowledge begins with self-knowledge, that individual happiness is dependent upon self-realization, and that one’s individuality is to be prioritized. The literary movement of Transcendentalism initially developed in New England as a response to the earlier literary movement known as Rationalism. Two prominent advocates of this literary trend, known as transcendentalism, were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Death of an Innocent, by Chris McCandless 991 Words   |  4 PagesIn Death of an Innocent, Chris McCandless goes on a memorable and tragic journey into Alaska, but for most of his expedition he was known, not as Chris McCandless, but as Alexander Supertramp. The reason that he changed his name for his journey was because he is running away from his past and wanted to become the person he believed he really was. Chris McCandless had a very comfortable life of an upper-middle class citizen, with a good education and many opportunities. On a summer trip to CaliforniaRead MoreUse of Literary Techniques in Into The Wild, by John Krakauer1073 Words   |  5 Pagesauthors note, Krakauer gives a synopsis of his novel. He writes, â€Å"In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters† (Krakauer, ANI). However, McCandless himself is unaware that the fate of his excursion will prove to be abominable. He believes that his own physical competence and superior intellect will guarantee his survival inRead MoreInto The Wild Transcendentalism Analysis1043 Words   |  5 Pagesa thrilling novel about a young man named Christopher McCandless, who leaves a materialist society and decides to journey into the wild. Christopher Johnson McCandless graduates from college and tells his parents that he is going to spend the summer traveling in his car, a used Datsun. He changes his name to Alex Supertramp in hope to start a new lifestyle, away from everything he knew. A natural disaster happens which forces Alex to abandon his car after it is damaged by a flash flood. He then loadsRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Life On The Road1463 Words   |  6 PagesKrakauer wrote about Chris McCandless, a very famous traveler and an intelligent man, after his death in the book, Into the Wild. Chris McCandless was a 24-year old who finished college at the elite Emory University, but unexpectedly left his family and ultimately society, to live life in the wild. He decided to travel to Alaska under the name Alex Supertramp and mostly live dependent on the land with limited supplies and the aid of passerbys. Unfortunately, Chris ends up in death’s grasp in Alaska fromRead MoreFilm Analysis : Into The Wild1429 Words   |  6 PagesInto the Wild The movie Into the Wild is about a young man who finished his university education and through everything away. He did this because he wanted to go into the wilderness to find answers to his questions to his life. There are multiple scenes that moved me when watching this movie. The first scene that moved me was during a campfire scene with Jan and Chris. They were talking and Jan said that â€Å"You look like a loved kid, be fair.† Chris answered â€Å"Rather than love, in money, in faith,Read MoreUse of Literary Techniques by Jon Krakauer When Writing Into the Wild1585 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander Supertramp, in which many of the people that he came in contact with called him. In the novel Krakauer introduces Wayne Westerberg through a letter that Chris McCandless wrote to him â€Å" saying that â€Å" he wants him to know that he is a great man†. Jim Gallien was the second character introduced that McCandless came in contact with. Gallien noticed Alex hitch hiking and gave him a ride to â€Å"Denali National Park† and also discovers that Alex is going to Alaska. However, he notices that Alex doesRead MoreThe Journey Of Chris Mccandless1654 Words   |  7 PagesWhether McCandless was a vagabond, genius, whack job, free spirit, rebel, or poet, Christopher McCandless (also known by the pseudonym Alexander Supertramp) was unique among men. At an age when most upper-class kids begin their arduous climb toward becoming the next big thing, Christopher McCandless went in the opposite direction—he became a nobody. Through perusing Into The Wild, I have detested a ton of feelings for the most part outrage. I have never believed that such individual would remainRead MoreAnalysis Of Chris Mccandlessness In Into The Wild870 Words   |  4 PagesChris McCandless was a free spirit, unbound by the chains of society and an old soul who took pleasure, and fulfilled his lust for adventure, by tramping around the United States. Rather than living the normal life in civilization, Chris felt his love for nature stated when he abandons his family and lives off the land. Jon Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild wrote the book about Chris McCandless aka Alex Supertramp when he died of starvation in the Alaskan wilderness and made headlines. PeopleRead MoreWas Chris McCandless Prepared When He Went Into The Wild? Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieve that he was poorly prepared for his journey. But there are a few people who believe he was prepared mentally, and an even smaller amount believe he was fully prepared. I believe that Chris only knew what he was doing mentally. He did not have the correct tools or the developed skills to survive, for an extended period of time in the wild. But, he did know what he was about to get himself into. He planned out the trip and knew exactly what his risk factors were. Chris McCandless was either preparedRead MoreInto the Wild, by Jon Krakauer1848 Words   |  8 PagesChristopher Johnson McCandless who ventured off to Alaska and tried to survive in the wild. McCandless grew up in Annandale, Virginia where he attended school and made very good grades, rarely bringing home anything below an A. His father, Walt worked for NASA for a little while, before starting his own business with Chris’s mother, Billie, out of their own home. They worked hard and for long hours to get the business up and running and it finally paid off. The McCandless family was wealthy, but had many