Chris McCandless: a man so infatuated with nature that he practically committed suicide to get closer to it. This extreme sympathy for nature, along with other ideals, constitutes the fundamental principles of transcendentalist philosophy. McCandless also demonstrates other tenets of transcendentalism, particularly the supremacy of the individual, detaching himself from the mammon of this world. Another way in which he shows the supremacy of the individual, believing that one should not conform to the usual policies of life, in some cases causes him great problems. In addition to his belief that the individual trumps all else, McCandless drew much of his inspiration from nature. Ultimately, always following what he believes is correct, McCandless follows his intuition to his death. Chris McCandless not only shows his transcendentalist beliefs by the way he acts and thinks, but also by how these actions and thoughts emulate those of the fathers of transcendentalism, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Chris McCandless adheres to the principle of individual supremacy through throwing away and keeping away from wealth. He attempts this extraordinary feat by donating most of his money and writing off the rest by burning it. He may be breaking the law in this action, but it reveals a lot about his character: that he cares about people but also that money has no power in his life. By venturing impromptu into the Alaskan wilderness, McCandless breaks the bonds of wealth by staying away from it. His supplies: “cheap leather hiking boots, … only [a] .22 caliber [rifle]; too small a bore to rely on if you expected to kill large animals like moose and caribou…. He had no axe, no insecticides, no snowshoes, no compass” – he gave… half of the paper… the inspiration he needs to learn more about himself. Ultimately, McCandless follows his intuition to his death. These ideas presented by McCandless not only demonstrate transcendental ideals, but the fathers of transcendentalism themselves live very much like those of Christopher Johnson McCandless, a man who desired to live as close to nature as possible; however, willpower alone could not save him from his unintentionally self-inflicted death. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Thoreau.” The Tour of Atlantic Ideas. Atlantic Monthly Group, nd Web. November 23, 2013. James, Henry, Sr. “Emerson.” The Tour of Atlantic Ideas. Atlantic Monthly Group, nd Web. November 23, 2013. Krakauer, Jon. In the wild nature. New York: Anchor, 1997. Print.