The philosophies of Chris Mccandless were inspired by the philosophies of previous transcendentalists, especially those of Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Thoreau. The goal behind his philosophies was to reach a point of self-actualization. When he met Ronald Franz, or Ron, he took it upon himself to teach the lonely and simple minded old-man his ways, and allow Ron to reach the point of true happiness also. Chris Mccandless, a fiercely independent transcendentalist, in his letter to his companion, Ron, capitalizes upon how wonderful life is when you are living free of rules and limits. Mccandless’s purpose was to prompt Ron into leaving behind his old, sedentary lifestyle and instead thrive on the type of life Mccandless was living. He …show more content…
Mccandless emphasizes this point by using the words radical and boldly. Using the word radical implies the change must be thorough and far-reaching, Mccandless does not mean for Ron to change only his outer shell but also his spirit. Ron’s spirit must transform from the cautious being he is now, to the adventurous and intrepid spirit that Mccandless believes will bring him happiness. Mccandless’s distinctive perspective on the subject allows him to more easily emphasize this point. He advises Ron, “If you want to get more out of life you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life (57)...” Mccandless’s word choice helps make the contrast between his own life and Ron’s life. He describes Ron’s life as one of “monotonous security”, Mccandless believes Ron’s life was so free of danger and threat to the point where it was repetitious and dull. Mccandless then continues to describe his own life as “a helter-skelter style of life”, the complete opposite of what Ron’s life is, almost to the point where it is almost a disorderly