Ralph Waldo Emerson, a Transcendentalist philosopher, introduced the transparent eyeball as a metaphor. The transparent-colored eyeball represents the eye of an observer, rather than a reflective one. The transparent eyeball teaches you to enjoy all of nature’s beauty. Christopher McCandles disproves this notion. He was a very keen observer in the early stages of his career. He was very private about his strong beliefs. Christopher and his sister, who were sitting with them, would feel hatred when they saw their parents fighting. Chris absorbed his parents’ negativity, as well as the corruption in society. Emerson said that Chris McCandles was a transparent observer. Being a silent spectator would allow one to discover themselves. Chris was not a silent onlooker. He had the opportunity to speak his mind. Chris was motivated by his freedom to explore the wilderness. If he did not first confront his parents, Chris McCandles would have never acquired the willpower necessary to venture out into Alaskan wilderness. Emerson, like Chris McCandles, incorporates transcendentalism throughout their lives. They both also seem to be very hypercritical about their beliefs. Emerson talks about finding yourself in the wilderness, but unlike Chris McCandles, he has never done it. Chris McCandles gives readers a lot of evidence that he’s a transcendentalist. However, he also performs an important task that is contrary to his original philosophies. Chris had hoped to visit Alaska and create experiences that were unique to him, but he ended up in an old, rundown bus. The bus is clearly used and it ruins his idea of creating your own experiences.
Christopher McCandles turning point occurred when he escaped the transparent shell. This happened immediately after his graduation; his parents were trying to give him a car. Christopher refused to accept the gift. It was almost instinctive. He proclaimed what he regarded as the right way to live. He said that he did not want to be obligated to give gifts. Chris was not raised to express his opinions, so he decided to escape to Alaska. Christopher was forced to express his revolutionary ideas such as not feeling like he owed anyone anything and to depend on himself. Chris McCandless is now no longer voiceless, or a passive eyeball. It was his time to speak up and defend what he believed, despite the criticism he might receive. Chris was unable to communicate his true feelings and beliefs until he graduated. This led him make rash choices such as burning all of his money or leaving Alaska in the wilderness without communicating with anyone. The corrupting influence of society and his family were the main reasons for Chris’ rash decisions. His emotions had been bottled for so many years that he was unable to control them. This led him to act in a way we found illogical. He would not have felt the need to abandon his family or society if he had voiced his opinion from the beginning.
Chris McCandless’s philosophy and that of the two main transcendentalists, Emerson & Thoreau, were both hypocritical. Emerson, who preaches that one must go to the woods to find their true selves, is hypercritical. However, unlike Chris McCandless, he never went to the wilderness. Thoreau wanted people to find their own paths and not follow the footsteps of others. Chris McCandless’ journey is not influenced by this idea. Walden, Life in the Woods or Walden by Thoreau, states that “it is amazing how quickly and insensibly one can follow a path and become accustomed to it.” I hadn’t lived… He would achieve a successful outcome, but in an unexpected way. ” (p.933) He finds a bus that has been used as a bed. He uses old kitchen utensils. Chris would not be living in the same space if he only believed his transcendentalist theories.
Emerson holds that children have a special connection to everyday activities, because they are not corrupted yet by the filter of society. In his essay Nautre, he says, “To say it honestly, only a few adults are able to see the natural world.” The sun is not seen by most people. They are only superficially aware of the sun. The sun only lit the man’s eye, but a child’s heart and eye were also illuminated. …” He was taught to be quiet and not speak out. It was this that caused him to break out of his reflective shell and make connections, something he lacked in his childhood. It was his Alaskan adventure that made up all the connections he lost as a youngster. He became silent after observing the brainwashing power of society. This was until his graduation. In this moment, he gained the independence and freedom to express his ideas. This enabled him to enjoy the experiences that he craved.
Emerson, Thoreau, and other major transcendentalists were not just hypocrites but also taught Chris McCandless and others about daily adventures and personal experiences. Their own actions contradict many of their beliefs. Chris McCandless has also proven some of these notions to be wrong. Emerson called Chris McCandless the transparent, observant eyeball throughout his entire childhood. He bottled his emotions as a result. Emerson thinks that by being observant, one can find themselves. Chris was in the exact opposite situation. In the end, he was able to stand up for himself, despite his family’s disappointment and shock. Chris did not carry his beliefs to the grave despite his claims of being an atheist. Instead, he prayed to God and cheated on others’ experiences. Chris’s idols ended up being two-faced. Emerson was not only wrong in some of his beliefs, but Chis is also hypocritical.
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