Billie and Walt McCandless mourn silently over their 24-year-old son, Chris McCandless, who hadn't spoken to them in more than two years and was found dead in the woods of Alaska. They wonder why their son left society, still left his parents and risked his life, which ended in his death. Transcendental principles that include rejection of society, intuition, and seeking purpose in life may have guided the aforementioned individual in search of experience. Chris McCandless's identification as a transcendentalist is confirmed by his nonconformist actions, his human relationships, and his search for a higher truth. Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the father of transcendentalism because he first introduced the idea of ​​a simplistic and intuitive lifestyle. He states: “Whoever wants to be a man must be a nonconformist. . . Nothing is at least sacred but the integrity of your mind” (“Self-Reliance” 392). Nonconformism is an essential part of Emerson's definition of a transcendentalist. In order to live a truly boundless and fulfilled life, one must not fall into the daily and frenetic life of society. He or she must stand out and follow their intuition, even if it is not considered the norm. The only way to be happy is to trust your instincts, not let yourself be tired by the pressures of society. Chris McCandless, during his cross-country trip, performed numerous acts that diverged from the rest of society. For example, he burned 123 dollars to prove that material things have no real meaning to his life (Krakauer 29). Furthermore, Chris points out in a letter to his 81-year-old friend Ronald Franz: "So many people live in unhappy circumstances and yet do not take i...... middle of paper... Chris The search for a higher truth has given McCandless an imperative incitement to the need for human relationships to live a happy life. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "The American Experience." Ed. Kate Kinsella. 388-390. Printed.---, “Self-Confidence.” Ed. Kate Kinsella. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, 2005. 391-392. The American Renaissance and Transcendentalism." PBS. PBS and Web. 08 April 2014. Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wilderness. New York: Anchor Books, 1997. Print.Saverin, Diana. "The Problem of Obsession by Chris McCandless. " External magazine. Mariah Media, Inc., December 18, 2013. Web. April 16, 2014. "Transcendentalism, an American philosophy." Online textbook of US history. Independence Hall Association, nd Web. 09 April. 2014.