Into the Wild and Walden Essay Example
How Similar But Yet So Different After reading Walden, by Henry D. Thoreau and watching the movie titled, Into
The Wild, written by Sean Penn, I realized how similar and different both main characters
were. Christopher McCandless, the main actor in the movie and, Henry D. Thoreau, the
author and main character in Walden, share many things in common however, their views
on the world and motives for going on their journeys are very different from one another.
These two men share complex views on life and how one should live that life. They differ
in regards to how they deal with and go about living their lives. Thoreau and McCandles
live their lives doing what they feel makes them happy. McCandless quotes Thoreau and
says, “If you want something in life, reach out and grab it” (sc. 167). Both of their
journeys were beneficial for them and taught them a lot about themselves. Both of these
men went out on a quest to find themselves and give insight into how they define and live
with technology, finding spiritual freedom, the necessities of life, and living life to its
fullest, but it is these similarities shared between the two that they also contrast each other
greatly. Both McCandless and Thoreau deal with the advancement of technology in their
journeys. McCandless is the Henry D. Thoreau of the 1990s. What sets him apart from
Thoreau is his view on technology. Thoreau states, “The nation itself, with all its so-
called internal improvements, which, by the way, are all external and superficial…”
(119). This statement is the opposite of McCandless‘ view. McCandless uses the
advancements in technology to get to his final destination of Alaska. McCandless travels
by train, which would have made Thoreau absolutely sick. Thoreau clearly expressed his
discussed for the railroads in Walden. McCandless also relies of cars and trucks as he
hitch hikes across the country. Now in
The Wild, written by Sean Penn, I realized how similar and different both main characters
were. Christopher McCandless, the main actor in the movie and, Henry D. Thoreau, the
author and main character in Walden, share many things in common however, their views
on the world and motives for going on their journeys are very different from one another.
These two men share complex views on life and how one should live that life. They differ
in regards to how they deal with and go about living their lives. Thoreau and McCandles
live their lives doing what they feel makes them happy. McCandless quotes Thoreau and
says, “If you want something in life, reach out and grab it” (sc. 167). Both of their
journeys were beneficial for them and taught them a lot about themselves. Both of these
men went out on a quest to find themselves and give insight into how they define and live
with technology, finding spiritual freedom, the necessities of life, and living life to its
fullest, but it is these similarities shared between the two that they also contrast each other
greatly. Both McCandless and Thoreau deal with the advancement of technology in their
journeys. McCandless is the Henry D. Thoreau of the 1990s. What sets him apart from
Thoreau is his view on technology. Thoreau states, “The nation itself, with all its so-
called internal improvements, which, by the way, are all external and superficial…”
(119). This statement is the opposite of McCandless‘ view. McCandless uses the
advancements in technology to get to his final destination of Alaska. McCandless travels
by train, which would have made Thoreau absolutely sick. Thoreau clearly expressed his
discussed for the railroads in Walden. McCandless also relies of cars and trucks as he
hitch hikes across the country. Now in