Professor Gualtieri
Humanities 20th Century
13 July 2017 Existentialism in Into the Wild Into the Wild based on the nonfictional novel by Jon Krakauer was adapted into a film by Sean Penn in the year 2007. The film focuses on the life of twenty-three-year-old Chris McCandless whom after graduating college rejects his family, wealthily upbringing, identity and potential of becoming a lawyer in order to travel across the United States in search for his identity. McCandless decided to go about this journey to self-discovery and truth in order to break away from his pervious lifestyle of domestic violence and suffocating control of his parent’s wealth (Mist). As he was growing …show more content…
First being, the attempt for Chris to discover his meaning and purpose as you would if you were an existentialist. The second, is Sartre’s perspective upon the responsibility for what man says and how he chooses to live. This philosophy is also explored by Chris McCandless when committing to his new lifestyle. In terms of hunting for food, shelter, warmth and water in order to survive. Sartre also wanted to make clear the connection between the negative perspective toward the view of existentialism and the more optimistic perspective in which he believed in and wanted to display within his works as McCandless did as well. By sharing this ideology with the numerous people he met on the road of his journey to Alaska, Chris was able to create an impact on everyone he …show more content…
Through the adventure of a lifetime going into the wilderness in order find his true self and discovery happiness, Chris learns that through solidarity, courage and self-belief and distance anyone can find happiness but to an existent. As he discovery toward the end of his trip that happiness is meaningless unless you have someone to share it with