March 17, 2008
Into The Wild
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Updated March 17, 2008
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I just watched the Sean Penn film, Into The Wild. I had read the book about three years ago by Jon Krakauer. It is based on Christopher McCandless, a recent college graduate who, following Henry David Thoreau’s footsteps, of sorts, wanted nothing to do with modern society. He gave all of his money to charity and set out on his journey across the land.
I won’t retell the story here, for it is easily accessible in our modern society’s bookstores and dvd rentals. I will say that this sort of story interests me. I have always enjoyed nature, travelling, and living, albeit for short periods of time, without the need of a calendar or watch.
The call of freedom is strong---freedom from deadlines, work schedules, or other standards of modernity. There are always boundaries in our life—social pressures form us into what we should be, who we should be, where we should be (not only in a geographic sense, but, also, in a social class sense). We know that the way to accomplish what is desired (from social mores) is to obtain an education or skill, and begin a career. A career is supposed to last decades. A realization soon becomes apparent, we all are supposed to work our lives away.
I honestly feel that most, if not all, people, especially in their late teens or early twenties, have an interest in ridding social norms. Perhaps it entails a desire to break away from everyday life, and perhaps, at some point in their lives, to part from one’s own life as it is. As Alexander Supertramp, the name McCandless gave himself in his new life, once said, “I think careers are a 20th century invention, and I don’t want one.”
This all comes down to what one interprets as the meaning of happiness. Is it the accumulation of objects to perhaps reflect a social status? Is it having a big house in the suburbs to show that you have made it? Made what? Made what is expected of you? Who expects it? You can turn this around and ask yourself whether you think happiness is fulfilling expectations that others have set upon you. What if you don’t, as McCandless didn’t, respect those “others” who have these expectations of you?
Would you then break away from those social norms? Would you look elsewhere, another avenue, another definition, of happiness?
In Walden’s Pond, by Henry David Thoreau, the central issue of the book is that you don’t need a normal job, working long hours, being away from the family for long periods of time. If you can obtain the survival needs of the family, as in food, shelter, and clothing, by working off of your land with your own two hands, why would a traditional job be required? The details escape me, but, Thoreau basically stipulated that everything needed for survival would amount to only about two hours a day of work. Perhaps it is just a natural transformation—to specialize in a skill, and, therefore use your skill to work for others, and, in turn, be able to use proceeds from that to buy or barter what is needed for the family. I suppose that not following this natural law of society, or civilization, would label someone weird, or, as many see Thoreau, as a tyrant. One could be labeled unmotivated, or troubled, if one chooses not to follow societal norms and work in the traditional sense—just as many saw McCandless. .
I believe another book by Thoreau reflects what McCandless is all about. In his book, A Walk in the Woods, Thoreau reveals that reaching a geographic location may be more worthwhile if one walks, versus taking modern transportation avenues (such as, in his day, riding horses). So many experiences will have been missed if one chooses the modern mode, such as not seeing the butterfly land on the flower, or, watching a frog jump into the creek as you cross over it, or, realizing your true thoughts as you walk down the uncrowded path. I think this rubbed off on McCandless. He states, “...the core of man’s spirit comes from new experiences.” He says this to an elderly widower who is basically a home-body. He tries to encourage the man to travel and live life.
My mind frequently focuses on the unfortunate fact that I didn’t hike the Appalachian Trail when I could have prior to beginning my career. Doing so right out of college is the preferred time to do this journey. But, would I be the same person I am now if I had done this? Would I have experienced such happiness that I wouldn’t want to be tied to a normal work schedule for a few decades? Would I then spend a majority of my adult years unhappy because, after tasting true happiness, I cannot stay on the trail enjoying a free-spirit attitude, regulated by no set-schedules, clocks, or deadlines? Would I feel obligated to follow the normal social practices of getting a career, accumulating objects, and living in suburbia had I experienced months of trail-happiness?
I have no answers to these questions. I shall never know, for that is not the course I took. As it stands, I am eagerly awaiting the end of my career so that I may, if an older body will allow, follow the dream I have had for so many years. Retirees make up the second largest group of thru-hikers on the A.T., second only to recent college graduates. In a way, I pity those who have experienced such freedom early in life, then feel the urge to follow the social norms set forth. In a way, for many years after tasting the freedom, to steal a song title from Jimmy Buffett, it must feel like an animal “Pacing the Cage”.
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