Comparison Of Thoreau And Mccandles

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Chris McCandles and Henry David Thoreau are similar in many way. Both men set out into the wilderness as an escape from society, and both sharing in a common disgust in materialism and the effects of money to people. McCandless even went to the extent of donating $25,000 to a charity before he began his travels. They as well shared in a love for nature, making it obvious why they were willing to submerge themselves into a journey that would alter there life completely. They both went searching for a life of understanding, a simple life of minimal needs. They questioned life, and looked for answers. Where they differ though is Thoreau prepared himself strongly and readied himself for anything that he would need, such as food, water and shelter. Where McCandless had little gear, no funds and no promise of a shelter when he set out. Also McCandles wanted to escape the clutches of society to get away from people controlling him, where as Thoreau just somewhat wanted a change, he wanted to experience life, Thoreau said " I went to the woods because i wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if i couldn't not learn what it had to teach, and not, when i come to die, discover that i had not yet lived." Thoreau not only had knowledge and passion, but he had common sense too. He didn't see fit to put his life in danger for his journey, he knew when it was time to go get supplies. Where as McCandless was a smart kid, but he was with little experience in the wilderness that he embarked on, leading him to his eventually demise. Some might say that he lived his life to the fullest and put his whole heart into his dream, and others would call him a silly dreamer who didn't know better. Either way you view McCandless, or Thoreau it is easy to see that these two men spent there time in a simplistic minimalist lifestyle, attempting to

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