CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON MCCANDLESS TRANSCENDENTALISM
VALUES AS REFLECTED IN SEAN PENN’S INTO THE WILD
THESIS
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for the Sarjana SastraDegree of the English Department
Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
by: Afida Arifiana
C0304010
English Department Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts
Sebelas Maret University Surakarta
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON MCCANDLESS TRANSCENDENTALISM VALUES AS REFLECTED IN SEAN PENN’S INTO THE WILD
THESIS
by: Afida Arifiana
C0304010
Approved to be examined before the Board of Examiners Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts
Sebelas Maret University
Thesis Consultant:
Yusuf Kurniawan, SS, MA NIP. 19711130 199903 1001
Head of English Department:
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON MCCANDLESS’S TRANSCENDENTALISM VALUES AS PRESENTED IN SEAN PENN’S INTO THE WILD
by: Afida Arifiana
C0304010
Accepted and approved by the Board of Examiners on August 13th, 2009
Chairman : DRA. Nani Sukarni, MS ………
Secretary : Taufiq Almakmun, SS ……….
First Examiner : Yusuf Kurniawan, SS MA ……….
Second Examiner : Fitria Akhmerti P, SS MA ….………..
Surakarta, Agustus, 31 2009 Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine arts
PRONOUNCEMENT
Name : Afida Arifiana
Number : C0304010
The researcher states that the thesis entitled Christopher Johnson McCandless transcendentalism values as reflected in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild is neither a plagiarism nor made by others. It is originally made by the researcher. All theories and materials taken from other sources are put in direct quotation and paraphrased citation. The researcher is fully responsible for the pronouncement and if this is proved to be wrong, the researcher is willing to take any responsible actions given by Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University.
Surakarta, July 2009 The researcher,
MOTTO
In truth, Allah SWT ne ve r change s a pe rson’s conditions until he / she
change s the conditions cohe ring w ith him/ he r.
(Q.S AR RA’D. 11)
Make a w ish…Take a chance …Make a change
(a lyr ic of Kelly Clar kson’s Breakaway)
Don’t w aste your time or time w ill w aste you!
(a lyr ic of Muse’s Knights of Cydonia)
Happine ss only re al w he n share d
(Chr istopher Johnson McCandless)
Do the be st and God do the re st
DEDICATION
I fully dedicate this thesis to:
-
My passed away father , you had done many things for me
even fr om you ever silence.
-
My mother , you’r e my r eally wonder woman. You’r e my
inspir ation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Assalamu’alaikum wr. wb.
The researcher, from the deepest of the heart, would like to thank Allah
SWT, the almighty and the khaliq of the entire universe, which had given the endless power for doing and finishing this research. The researcher hopes that
this thesis can be beneficial for all readers especially for the younger English
Department students in major of American Studies. The researcher realized that it
is impossible for finishing this research without other’s help. There are many
people that give contributions to this research. Therefore, the researcher wanted to
say thanks also to:
1. The dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Drs. Sudarno, MA, for
giving the researcher a chance to study in this faculty.
2. The head of English Department, Dr. Djatmika, MA, for the endless
motivations.
3. My thesis consultant, Yusuf Kurniawan, SS, MA, for your patience when
you checked my thesis. I knew that there are so many mistakes that needed
to be revised.
4. My academic supervisor, Dra. Rara Sugiarti,M.Tourism for your help for
the smoothness of my study.
5. All the lecturers of English Department for giving the researcher a wider
6. My passed away father, my “wonder woman’ mother, my older brothers
(Aies Zainal Arifin and Afik Arifudin). Thank God I have you. I promise
that I never disappoint you. I’ll make youproud.
7. My “cukz fam”for much unforgettable moments. Having you is my lucky. Surya “Uya” Isnawan, Mr. and Mrs. Devit “Bambank”, the little family of
mami Yuli, Cindy, Rina n Rudy, Pungky, Natalia Dany, Nanak, Dendy, Bian, you are part of my happiness. Keep “cukz fam”forever!
8. All big family of “Amstuders 04”, Widya, Rudy, Dony, Itok, Yunindar, Tutut, Ulil, Danang, Eline, Yunus, Ika, Reni and the nice of “Amstuders 05”.
9. All dweller of Letters and Fine Art Faculty of UNS, especially ED.04
students (We are different guys), The ED 04 Touring Team, Edy Cuby,
Edy Fata, Vanie, Martha, Hilda, Tatan, Uus, Tantra, Fitra, Ria, etc, The Tumpuls, Komunitas Musik dan Film (KMF), Sasindo02 and 04, my best partner, Wira, Kansas canteen, ILC, that makes me so comfort in campus.
10. All of my sides that I ever and keep joining, Solo Youth Heritage (SYH),
GSM FM, PT. IMF Solo, PMI Surakarta, and Alfabank Training Center.
11. All of my sides who helped and motivated me to finish this thesis.
Alhamdulillah. God bless you all.
Wassalamu’alaikum wr. wb.
Surakarta, July 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER PAGE………i
APPROVAL BY THESIS SUPERVISOR………ii
APPROVAL BY BOARD OF EXAMINERS……….….iii
PRONOUNCEMENT………iv
MOTTO………v
DEDICATION………vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………..…...vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS………...…...ix
ABSTRACT………...……….….. xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Research Background……….……… ..1
B. Scope of the Study……….……...5
C. Research Questions……….…...5
D. Objectives of the Study………...5
E. Benefits of the Study………..…...6
F. Method of Research……….…...6
G. Theoretical Approaches………..….…....8
H. Thesis Organization………..….…....11
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW A. American Transcendentalism………...…….13
1. Ralph Waldo Emerson………..….17
2. Henry David Thoreau……….…..20
C. Semiotics Film Theory……….…...21
D. In the Wild………...29
CHAPTER III: ANALYSIS Christopher Johnson McCandless’ Transcendentalism Values as Reflected in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild……….…………..33
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION A. Conclusion………….……….……..72
B. Recommendation………..…....74
BIBLIOGRAPHY……….….…..75
ABSTRACT
Afida Arifiana. C0304010. Christopher Johnson McCandless’
Transcendentalism Values as Reflected in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild.
Thesis: English Department Faculty of Letters Sebelas Maret University Surakarta.
This research focuses on the transcendentalism values. The study emphasizes to answer two research questions. First, what are Christopher Johnson McCandless’ transcendentalism values as reflected in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild? Second, how are Christopher Johnson McCandless’ transcendentalism values as reflected in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild?
In order to achieve the goals of the research, the researcher analyzed the research using semiotics film theory and observing with sociological and philosophical approaches. The main source of data in this research is Sean Penn’s Into the Wild that was produced by Paramount Vantage in 1997.The main data of this research were the content of the movie encompassing the characters and characterizations, dialogue, Mise-en-Scène, camera angles, and other cinematographic elements which contains the transcendentalism values. While, the supporting data were the ideas, thoughts, and opinions taken from production notes, articles, essays, biography, and other materials related to the research questions.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
The United States of America is a secular country which means religion and government concerns are separated. As stated in American Life and Inst itut ion, the American Constitutions, especially the First Amendment, “forbids the government to give special favors to any religion or to hinder the free practice of any religion” (Stevenson, 1994: 22). Since Americans are free to form and follow any religious belief they wish, there are many beliefs, philosophies, thoughts, denominations, or churches in the United States. American is well-known as its “White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP)”, meanwhile, other religious beliefs, thoughts, or philosophies such us, Unitarianism, orthodox Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Transcendentalism, can not be separated from this nation.
Further, this research was talking about transcendentalism. According to Rebecca Kneale Gould, transcendentalism is religious, philosophical, and literary movement that begins to express itself primarily in Boston, during the mid-nineteenth century and including such familiar figures as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo
Emerson, and Margaret Fuller, among others (Gould in
ht t p:/ / w w w .religionandnature.com/ ern/ sample/ Gould--Transcendent alism.pdf).
According to Cliff, Unitarianism encompasses a range of liberal ideas that represent the rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity. Unitarianism refers to the belief that God is one being instead of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holly Spirit or “unity”
(ht t p:/ / w w w .cliffsnot es.com/ WileyCDA/ Lit Note/
Thoreau-Emerson-and-Transcendent alism-Int roduct ion-t o-t he-Times-Religious-Cont ext .id-134,pageNum-12.ht ml). The Unitarianism is the seed of Transcendentalism. The source of American transcendentalism is also coming from neo-Platonism, Germanic philosophy (Europe Romanticism), and thought of Eastern religion, especially Hinduism (Horton in Sardjana, 1988: 96). Essentially, the elements constructed Transcendentalism has existed Transcendentalists. Rebecca Kneale Gould states that:
They (transcendentalists) expressed a commitment to shaping life according to individuality discerned aesthetic and spiritual priorities, rather than those of social convention or the marketplace. Their intellectual stance was starting place from which they developed their ideas of nature, as well as their moral and religious views.
(Gould: in ht t p:/ / w w w .religionandnat ure.com/ ern/ sample/ Gould--Transcendent alism.pdf).
Briefly, Transcendentalism is a thought or a religious philosophy that spread out; important to live with nature and live in simplicity, direct relation to God rather than through formal religion, all human beings are divine, having of Image” and “Self-Reliance”, and rebel the oppression (slavery) (Holman in Sardjana, 1988: 98).
After more than one century, in fact, transcendentalist still can be found in modern American life. Christopher Johnson Mccandless, Emory college graduate having a mind to live in Alaska, is the example figure of transcendentalist. The transcendentalism values of Christopher Johnson McCandless can be watched through Sean Pean’s movie entitled Int o t he Wild. This movie is based on the true story of Christopher Johnson McCandless in around 1990 to 1992. According to Jack Nachbar and Kevin Lause in Pop Cult ure An Int roduct ory Text, artifact (movie) is a product (artifact) of popular culture. While, “artifact of popular product is the sign embedded deeply in the mindset of the times and seeing that we have said on these can thus help us to know what we believe” (Nachbar and Lause, 1992: 40). It means that popular movie is one of appropriate sources as the reflection of certain society.
This movie is talking about Christopher Johnson McCandless and his adventurous journey into the wild of Alaska. Chris is 22 years old man with promising future from his graduate from Emory College. Chris instead walks out of his privileged life into the wild in search of adventure. In his journey, Chris’s character reflects several transcendentalism values. Emily Moore argues that “Chris McCandelss’ adventurous journey into the wild indicates that his character incorporated many values of transcendentalism”.
(M oore in ht t p:/ / w w w .helium.com/ items/ 430535-charact er-analysis-christ opher-mcccandless-alexander-supert ramp-from-int o-t he-w ild)
Chris is portrayed as a young man who is taking risk, experiencing nature, and discovering ultimate freedom. He chooses to leave his up-middle class society to live meagerly in nature and devoid of the lavish pleasure of civilization. Chris’s life during his adventure journey reflects the way of live in simplicity. Chris asserts that he does not need monetary resources to survive. Before his journey to Alaska, Chris donates all of his money to a famine relief fund and buns remaining cash in his wallet. Through this movie, the audiences may consider Chris both as heroic adventure and as a naive idealist who ends his life in tragic wrestling with precarious balance between man and nature.
B. Scope of the Study
This research focused on transcendentalism values of the main character, Christopher Johnson McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch from Sean Pean’s Int o t he
Wild. It is an outstanding movie that was produced and distributed by Paramount Vantage, and released in 2007. The other characters were included for giving information and justification relating to the research question.
C. Research Questions
The research questions were formulated as follows:
1. What are Christopher Johnson McCandless transcendentalism values reflected in Sean Pean’s Int o t he Wild?
2. How are Christopher Johnson McCandless transcendentalism values reflected in Sean Pean’s Int o t he Wild?
D. Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study was:
1. To know what Christopher Johnson McCandless’s transcendentalism values are reflected in Sean Pean’s Int o t he Wild
E. Benefits of the Study
The benefits of this research were:
1. To give inspiration and idea for students who want to conduct researches in American studies especially those which are related relates to transcendentalism and movie analysis.
2. To give information to the readers who want to know more about American life, society, and thought especially those which are in correlated to transcendentalism.
3. To give knowledge for wider society who is willing to know more about the United States of America, since, nowadays, it is the most influential country in the world.
F. M ethod of Research
1. Type of Research
Descriptive qualitative method data deals with detailed description of situations, events, people, interactions, and observed behaviors; direct quotations from people about their experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and thought; and excerpt or entire passage from documents, and correspondence records and case histories (Patton, 1980: 22).
Therefore, descriptive qualitative need certain data that can be taken from sources; detailed description of sources, direct quotation from people, passage of documents, records or history.
2. Data and Source of Data
Data were divided into main and supporting data:
a. Main data
The source of the main data was the original VCD movie entitled Int o t he Wild
directed by Sean Pean, produced and distributed by Paramount Vantage, and released in 2007. While the main data was the content of the movie encompassing the characters and characterizations, monologue and dialogue, M ise-en-Scènes, camera angles, and other cinematographic elements.
b. Supporting data
The supporting data were the ideas, thoughts, and opinions taken from production notes, articles, essays, biography, and other materials related to the
3. Technique of Collecting Data
The main data of this research were taken by observing Sean Pean’s Int o t he
Wild especially on the significant scenes and dialogues which contained the transcendentalism values. Afterward, the next step were taking notes to those significant scenes and dialogues that were found in the movie.
While, the supporting data were gathered by reading materials correlated with the research and taking on the important ideas and thought.
4. Data Analysis
The selected data were analyzed based on the research questions by employing the theory and seeing in several approaches. The analysis was started by looking at the transcendentalism values reflected by Christopher Johnson McCandless as the main character in Sean Pean’s Int o t he Wild. After analyzing the data, the conclusion is
written based on the result of the analysis.
G. Theoretical Approaches
American studies relates to the Cultural Studies that is not a monolithic body of theories and methods, as Start Hall in John Storey’s Cult ural St udies & The St udy of Popular
Cult ure make it very clear,
Cultural Studies has multiple discourses; it has a number of different histories. It is a whole set of formations; it has its own different conjunctures and moments in the past. It included many different kinds of work…It always was asset of unstable formations…It had many trajectories; many people had and have different theoretical positions, all of them in contention (Hall in Storey, 1996: 2).
In short, Cultural studies is unfolding discourse to response changing of history and certain condition. Cultural studies enable people to have different point of view in theories and approaches in considering a certain case. Here, related to the research question, this research applies Semiotics Film Theory and uses Philosophical and Sociological Approaches.
1. Semiotics Film Theory
Since this research analyzed certain case from a movie, semiotics film theory was needed in order to reveal deeper meaning of the movie. The meaning of the movie
can be revealed by analyzing its duplicates as Christian Metz’s explanation:
Christian Metz explained that cinema (movie) has complicated duplications. Metz’s semiotics film theory explains that to reveal the meaning of a movie, the research should work at level of those duplicates. It means that those duplicates play important role in movie which creates deeper meaning.
2. Philosophical Approach
Philosophically, transcendentalism is a form of idealism which asserts that there are supernatural attributes present in the natural constitution of mankind. Christopher Johnson McCandless has transcendentalism values in his life less or much is influenced by some philosophers. It is the reason why philosophical approach was important to be applied. Here, the idealism of transcendentalism can be pointed out by the most important figure of transcendentalism; Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Both of Emerson and Thoreau contributed important thoughts for the developing of transcendentalism.
afterwards, it is as a man that he must judge questions of right and wrong, for each man has conscience” (Blau, 1952: 136). Thoreau always had resistance when he felt there was another group was tyrannizing. He was not fear against the government holding a brief for the matter of injustice and slavery.
Emerson and Thoreau’s thought as the most important figures of transcendentalism certainly would be beneficial for this research.
3. Sociological Approach
The first term sociology according to Auguste Comte, the founder of sociology, is derived from two root words: socius, which means “companion” or “associate” and
H. Thesis Organization
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Transcendentalism in America
Transcendentalism can be termed as the movement of religion, philosophy, and literary that begins to express itself primarily in Boston, during the mid-nineteenth century. The word “transcendentalism” is derived from “transcend” meaning to “pass beyond” (Blau, 1952: 111). Furthermore, it means that all convention avenues of communication are not only to transcend the senses but also to transcend churches, priest, or Scripture.
God is good and to keep the goodness, people should manage this opportunity. The universe is designed for the happiness of people. The American Enlightenment, later on, constructed Americans to compete each other in order to get the happiness. Americans tend to seek the understanding rather than feeling in order to get happiness. This pattern of thought gives direction to the United States of America. Among transcendentalists, faith is founded on the doctrine of self-reliance, while the Enlightenment is in the inevitable advance of science. It can be reasonable that the transcendentalism emergence was a reaction against the excessive emphasizes on science and rationalism which are the characteristics of the American Enlightenment.
Transcendentalism is actually not a new thought of Americans. The values shaping transcendentalism substantively has been owned by the transcendentalists. Perry Miller said in The American Transcendent alist s that transcendentalism is “breathed rather than acquired ideas” (Miller in Sardjana, 1988:97). Transcendentalism is stemming from the romantic movement in Germany and England. Transcendentalist’s oats also got by Oriental, particularly Hindu that feed ranging of imaginations (Blau, 1952: 110). The rise of transcendentalism in America was begun by the emergence of “Unitarianism”. Unitarianism was born by the dissatisfaction of the Christian thought of “Trinity”. Unitarianism refers to the belief that God is one being instead of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holly Spirit or “Unity”. Because of this they are called as Unitarians while the thought is called Unitarianism.
(ht t p:/ / w w w .cliffsnot es.com/ WileyCDA/ Lit Note/
he was not declared as a transcendentalist; Channing was closely involved to transcendentalists and was a great influence to transcendentalism. Channing believes that “when a man grows in God-likeness, he develops a power of vision which enables him to see the Divine in everything from the frail flower to the everlasting stars” (Channing in Blau, 1952: 114).
For transcendentalists, there is no exact doctrine of transcendentalism. James Freeman Clarke said that “we called ourselves the club of the like-minded, I suppose because no two of us thought alike (Clarke in Blau, 1952: 110). It can be underlined that among the transcendentalists, there are certain antagonisms and no bound of union. However, they tend to share the characteristics mood or temper, a common method or philosophical habit of mind. Here, it can be said that transcendentalism is also a movement.
being. In addition, all men are spiritually equal, thus, all men are able to communicate to God. In this point, transcendentalism has affected deeply the development of the democratic ideas in America.
Along with that ideology, Frederick Hedge in The Transcendental Club inaugurated in 1836, as a sequenced conversation of transcendentalists, said that “man develops in continuous fashion through three realms; the realm of nature, the realm of moral, the realm of spirit” (Hedge in Blau, 1952: 117). Hedge explained that the realm of nature was the motives to fulfill the needs and interests of the physical organization. Then, the realm of moral in which the governing motive of the actions was the law of duty and the realm of spirit was when man had reached this stage in development moved by love. In this part, transcendentalism actually respects “philosophical” reconsideration of the basic principles of Christian belief. Theodore Parker added that “Christian religion however was in need of a new theology which would base itself upon the immanence God in nature and in man, that is, a transcendentalist theology” (Parker in Blau, 1952: 119). For the Parker’s statement, the essence of Christianity is coming from permanent intrinsic and inherent merit rather than the connection with Jesus.
Thus, it can be concluded that although the idea of transcendentalists differ from each other in many respects, there are some common attitudes called “transcendentalism”. Briefly, Transcendentalism is a thought or a religious philosophy which is also a movement that spread out:
1. It is important to live in simple and close to nature
3. Human beings are divine in their own right
4. Self-trust and self-reliance are to be practiced all times since to trust oneself was really to trust the voice of God speaking through us.
5. It is important to support reform movements which foster human potential such us the abolition o slavery and enfranchisement of women. (Holman in Sardjana, 1988: 98)
B. Ralph W aldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau
Philosophically, transcendentalism is a form of idealism which asserts that there are supernatural attributes present in the natural constitution of mankind. Here, the idealism of transcendentalism can be pointed out by the important figure of transcendentalism; Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
1. Ralph W aldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson is essayist, poet, lecturer, philosopher, Unitarian minister, and central figure among the American Transcendentalist. Emerson was coming from the family given careful attention to both the religious and intellectual development. His father, William Emerson, was a liberal minister and a sociable well-respected man in the society while his mother, Ruth Haskins, was pious woman. Emerson and his family
stayed in Concord from time during their childhood.
Emerson, in the early 1833, had come to firm resolution of plenty time for solitary communion which he expressed in a poem called “Self Reliance”
Henceforth, please God, forever I forego The yoke of men’s opinions, I will be Light-hearted as a bird, and live with God (Emerson in Blau, 1952: 122)
Sardjana 1988: 103). In addition, Ralph Waldo Emerson revealed individualism to transcendentalism.
Each act of transcendentalists’ reflection is individual, immediate raid on universal truth. It stands by itself, it has no connection with what come after or what has gone before, it is called as inconsistency. Emerson said that “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” (Emerson in Blau, 1952: 123). It can be revealed that Emerson convinced this transcendental method to all men that “Every man’s nature is a sufficient advertisement to him character of his fellow”. The individuality of Emerson can be termed as egotism but tends to “true humility”.
For Emerson, the nature is not the scientific, but rather the nature-mystic. For Emerson, there is correspondence between every appearance in nature and some state of the mind as he called as “doctrine of correspondence”. Emerson convinced that for the man who was powerful in seeing these correspondences stimulate to live in country and face nature day after day, rather than live in cities. Living in cities tends to magnify trifles and degrade men (Emerson in Blau, 1952: 127).
2. Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau is one of major American transcendentalist, lecturer, naturalist, active opponent of slavery, and social critic. He was born on July 12, 1817. He had almost life-long resident of Concord, Massachusetts.
1952: 132). Thoreau felt that God of civilized countries seemed to him to be divine in name, but not in essence. Thoreau argued that civilized country as the basic problems of society. Thoreau signed that he did not want to be subjection of government’s authority. He reflected the relation of the individual to civil government. He did non-violence protest through his literature work. Thoreau’s non-violence movement was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi that against to unfair treatment by doing no-violence actions. Thoreau did not want to be ruled by government since he felt that he was higher than government. As his writing “Essay on Civil Disobedience”,
I am too high-born to be propertied To be a secondary at control,
Or useful serving-man and instrument To any sovereign state throughout the world. (Thoreau in Sardjana Sardjana 1988: 103)
In this essay, Thoreau felt that he is too sublime to be owned or ruled. Here, it is clear enough that Thoreau do not admit the outside force He tends to be antinomian, a person who do not admit authority outside of himself.
For transcendentalists, especially Thoreau, individual is prominent than society as his writing “the citizen is a man first, and citizen afterwards; it is as a man that he must judge questions of right or wrong, for each man has conscience” (Blau, 1952: 136). It means that country or government can not master the individuals.
men who remain loyal to an unjust state are themselves slave, like a figurehead to government. Thoreau rejected the oppression that grew up at the time, such as slavery. This detachment of mind which is the ultimate independence is like Hindu and Buddhist. Thoreau is well-known by his becoming anarchist.
C. Semiotics Film Theory
Film is not a language, but is like language. It means that to study a film, some methods to study language may be applied. The study of language certainly can not be separated from Ferdinad de Saussure’s language system. This system of language sought to explain how the word and sound produced a meaning. This system is known as “structuralism” divided into langue (permissible and impermissible utterances and their significance) and parole (potential utterance). Then, in explicating the functioning of language, Saussure distinguished the system between the “signifier” and the “signified”, which together comprise the linguistic sign (typically a word). “The signifier is the actual sound (of if written, the appearance) of the word; the signified is the concept or meaning attached to it” (Saussure in Lapsley and Westlake, 1988: 34). Furthermore, these three-dimensions of Saussure affected Roland Barthes’s semiotics theory.
Roland Barthes developed the three-dimensional system of Saussure. Barthes added what he called as “signification”. This signification relates to the mythical form and mythical concept (myth). Barthes defined “myth is a peculiar system, in that it is constructed from a semiological chain which existed before it: it is a second- order
1. Signifier 2. Signified
3. Sign
I SIGNIFIER II SIGNIFIED
III SIGN
(Barthes, 1999:115)
From the pattern above, it can be seen that in myth there are two semiological systems. First, a linguistic system which is called the language- object . In this
language-object, also called as denotation stage, indicates relationship between signifier and signified, while the signified is explicitly derived from the signifier. Second, myth itself called met alaguage shapes the meaning behind the object. It is can be termed as connotation stage that the signified is implicitly derived from the signifier. Here, it can be underlined that Roland Barthes developed semiotics into signifier as form,signified
as concept, and sign is the combination between form and concept that produce myth (signification). Semiotics theory keeps developing into the study of film.
In the beginning of film history, film study was compared to verbal language. It was not until now that written and spoken languages are just two among many systems of communication, making the real study of film can proceed. Then, it is known as semiotics, the study of sign. Semiotics film theory is redefining the concept of written and spoken language.
Language
Christian Metz, the well-known film semiotician, said that “It is not because the cinema is language that it can tell such fine stories, but rather it has become language because it has told such fine stories (Metz in Monaco, 2000: 157). In other term, Metz said that “a film is difficult to explain because easy to understand”. Here, Metz explained that in film, the signifier and the signified are almost identical: the sign is a short- circuit sign. It means that it can not modify the signs of cinema as modifying the words of language system. Metz gave example an image of rose. In film, an image of rose is image of rose, nothing more and nothing less. While in English a rose can be simply a rose , but it can be modified with similar words: rose, rosy, rosier, rosiest, rise, risen, rows (ruse, arose, roselike, and so forth (Metz in Monaco, 2000: 158). Here, it can be concluded that the power of film between the signifier and signified is less than the power of language system. Metz added that film semiotics could not only work at the level of image but also at its duplicates. In film there is no process of lexicon as it exists in verbal language. Film is added by its duplicates that construct deeper meanings, as Metz’s explanation:
Cinema transforms the world into discourse, and is not therefore simple duplication. But a semiotics of the cinema cannot work at the level of the image, since each image is unique, novel and analogous to reality, with its meaning produced not by its places within a system but by what it duplicates. There is no process of selection from a lexicon of images in cinema as there is from the verbal lexicon of a natural language. (Metz in Lapsley and Westlake, 1988:40)
The fact is that film, unlike written or spoken language, is not composed of as units as such, but is rather a continuum of meaning. In conclusion, James Monaco in
a. consists of short- circuit signs in which the signifier nearly equals the signified; and
b. depends on a continuous, nondiscrete system in which we can’t identify basic unit and which therefore we can’t describe quantitatively. ( Monaco, 2000: 160) This thesis focused using Christian Metz’s semiotics film theory as the development of Roland Barthes’s semiotics theory. Film has its own language that needs knowledge about technique and terminology of film to understand it. In order to reveal deeper meaning of film, it is better to know the film idioms bellow:
1. M ise-en-Scène
M ise-en-Scène was originally a French theatrical term, meaning “placing on the stage”. Louis Giannetti in book Underst anding M ovies: Fourt h Edit ion (1987: 32) described M ise-en- Scène as “somewhat more complicated a blend of the visual conventions, of the live theater with those of the plastic arts”. Here, it can be seen that
M ise-en- Scène of the movie closely relates to the visual objects or people in the movie which are called “image”. M ise-en- Scène can be termed as a fluid choreographing of visual elements that correspond to complex idea. The information got through M
ise-en-Scènecan be used in order to analyze a movie and its message. Each discipline of M ise-en- Scènecontains tools that usually be used to enhance the film. James Monaco in How t o Read a Film (2000: 179) explained that M ise-en- Scène is often regarded as static, while montage as dynamic. The codes of M ise-en- Scèneare tools with which filmmaker alters and modifies the audience’s reading of shoot. The shoot in the movie is the important thing in constructing a large unit of meaning. This analysis of M ise-en- Scèneis
a. The Framed Image
The example of the framed image
(Monaco, 2000: 187)
b. The Diachronic Shot
The example of close-up shot
(Monaco, 2000: 196)
The example of medium shot
(Monaco, 2000: 196)
verisimilitude and soft focus associated with “romantic mood”. Focus can be associated with single ground or it tends toward “movement”. Filmmakers can shift the interest of the frame from one ground to another. In certain ways, filmmakers can use a parallel way, zoom, or tracking shot or they can do so within the frame and without moving the camera. The basic movement used by Hollywood is for its ability to maintain attention on the subject.
The next aspect of diachronic shot is “angle”. The different angle of camera will shape the different point of view. There are three kinds of camera angle; eye-level, low-angle, and high-angel. Each camera angle has its importance to the subject. For instance, high-angle shot will reduce the importance of the subject while low-angle shot emphasize its power. While, eye-level shot is not always easy to be defined.
The example of high angle
(Monaco, 2000: 181)
Christian Metz in How t o Read a Film (2000: 212) identified five channels of information in film: (1) The visual image, (2) Print and other graphics, (3) Speech, (4) Music, and (5) Noise (sound effect). It means that speech is important as well as the other source of information. Sound is all voice presented in the movie which consists of speech, music, and noise (sound effect). Speech and music naturally receive attention because the have specific meaning. In this research speech also give significant meaning to whole meaning of the movie. Speech can be divided into monologue and dialogue. In the movie of Int o t he Wild, Christopher Johnson Mccandless as central figure often has monologue and dialogue that deliver significant meaning related to the major theme, transcendentalism.
D. Into the W ild
Into the Wild is a non-fiction movie, released in 2007, told a story about a young and his adventures till finally died in wilderness of Alaska. This movie can be said as semi-autobiographical of Christopher Johnson McCandless since it tells his life till his dead.
physical affairs. On top of that, they was willing to divorce, even finally it failed. From the child age, Christ was recognized as being strong willed with compulsion to be idealistic and physically powerful. Christ graduated from high school in 1986 and then from Emory University in Atlanta in 1990, having majored in anthropology and history. Despite his success and status as an-upper middle class citizen, however, Christ had a growing contempt for modern and material America, and he found himself being influenced by philosophers likes Emerson and Thoreau, and writing from Jack London and Leo Tolstoy. Then, he considered leaving society to enter a period of contemplation.
that he had managed his self in the area at least 189 days. He taught that he has died from a combination of starvation and poisonous fungus found on some seeds he ate, but it was a matter of speculation. (ht t p:/ / christ ophermccandless.net / )
The death of Christ Mccandless was made public in the January, 1993 edition of Outside magazine. Author Jon Krakauer published article titled “Death of an Innocent”, in which he depicted life of Christ. Jon Krakauer said about Christ adventure story that:
“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is in his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with the new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day
to have a new and different sun” (Krakauer in
ht t p:/ / nerro.w ordpress.com/ 2008/ 05/ 13/ int o-t he-w ild-depict ing-t he-life-of-christ opher-mccandless/).
Having much interesting to Christ adventure story and life, Jon Krakauer decided to take his published article a step further. In 1996, he published his book that encounters Christ’s experience to the other wilderness experiences and his own as well “Into the Wild”. It became a best seller book. Krakauer believes that away from a couple of fatal mistakes, Christ McCandless would have been alive now.
In 2007 Sean Penn released an adaptation of the biography from Jon Krakauer’s
Int o t he Wild. In the movie, Penn decided to take off Krakauer’s voice and stick to Chris’s story only. He said “ The int erest I had in t his st ory w as predominant ly w hat he w as
pursuing and not as much w hat he w as fleeing” .However, after 10 years Penn received an approval call from the family and started working on the movie. (ht t p:/ / nerro.w ordpress.com/ 2008/ 05/ 13/ int o-t he-w ild-depict ing-t he-life-of-christ
CHAPTER III
ANALYSIS
This chapter of the thesis contains the analysis related to the research question being questioned in the first chapter. Thus, this chapter discusses what and how the transcendentalism values of Christopher Johnson McCandless are reflected in the non-fiction movie Int o t he Wild directed by Sean Penn. This chapter applies the semiotics film theory and to be seen from the perspectives of sociology and philosophy to answer the questions what and how the values of transcendentalism of Christopher Johnson McCandless are presented in the movie
In analyzing the movie, certainly it can not be separated from the title as the representative idea of the movie. The title of the movie does not only as the representative idea but also persuasive strategy to invite the audiences. From the title of the movie Int o t he Wild, the audiences can guest what the story will be which is “someone who enter the wilderness”. Int o t he Wild by Sean Penn, as the commercial movie, was expected to reach as many audiences as possible. Then, the poster is also set up in simple way without forgetting for deliver the idea of the movie.
harmonious combination. This combination of colors is certainly as the representative of the main setting of the movie “Alaska”. The written text consists of title, director, and players. The text of the title is written much bigger and clearer than the other text in order to make audiences give more pay attention to the movie title than the name of stars and the director. It can mean that this movie is qualified enough not only from the popularity of the stars or the director, but also from the quality of the movie. Basically, promotional poster film of Int o t he Wild is simple in both of the view and the content but it is attractive and representative enough to invite audiences.
Promotional film poster
The title Int o t he Wild makes reference to the place where Christopher Johnson Mccandless live with his physical and spiritual exercise. It does not only show the coming of a person who lives in the wilderness but also the coming of a person to spiritual world. There are juxtapositions between journey and destination which is in particular more Alaska in the body of film.
In the beginning of the movie, there is a scene that shows Christ who is carving his statements about his living in the wild. Certainly the wild place in that statement represents Alaska.
Two years he walks the earth. No phone, No pool, no pets, no cigarettes, ultimate Freedom. An extremist. And aesthetic Voyager whose home is in the road ………
Escaped from atlanta.
to become lost in the w ild.
(Chris signs his doctrine)
ALEXANDER SUPERTRAMP MAY 1992
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script/ Int o%20 t he%20Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.126)
For most people, Alaska (Fairbanks, Yokun territory of the Alaska Interior) is considered the area that absolutely is uncomfortable at all to live. It is best described as extreme and is a good example of a true subarctic climate. Some of the highest and lowest temperatures in Alaska occur around the area near Fairbanks. The summers can have temperatures reaching into the 90s°F (the low to mid 30s °C), while in the winter, the temperature can fall below −60 °F (-52 °C). (ht t p:/ / en.w ikipedia.org/ w iki/ Alaska).
(ITW I/ 01/0.17.23)
Chris always makes a note what he has done during his adventure journey especially when he lived in Alaska. It is an evidence of what he has done and what he has got
during his traveling.
Int o t he Wild presents the values of transcendentalism through several elements of movie, especially its main character, Christopher Johnson Mccandless. However, Sean Penn as the director and screen writer also add the sign of transcendentalism values from the very first scene of the movie. It opens with a verse by Lord Byron. Lord Byron was an English poet who also played a role to Greece’s independence. He inherited his grandfather’s land in a nearby forest in Sherwood. He ever rode a horse taking around Greece. He often wrote poems to draw his adventure
(ITW I/ 02/ 0.00.28)
cities with its negative side will degrade the quality of mind. Cities make its citizens become invaluable man. It belongs to the transcendentalism values.
Sean Penn as the script writer and director of Int o t he Wild shapes this movie with linear dominantly but the audiences should be advised with the time played. In the beginning of the movie, the audiences are served with the first coming of Chris in Alaska, then the audiences are asked to see Chris before he goes traveling, then he comes back to Alaska again, then comes back to the scene of the Chris’s traveling journey and keep continuing like that. This sequence of time is continuing until the final scene which is the death of Chris in Alaska. It is an interesting setting of time since not many directors of the movies are brave in using this type of time sequence. If it is not done well, it will make the audiences confused.
After Sean Penn shows the Chris’s first coming to Alaska, Penn asks going flash back in Chris’s graduation ceremony, a moment before Chris has a long journey. In graduation ceremony there is Chris’s voice over as if he imagined about his parents graduation a long time ago.
CHRIS (V.O.)
I see them standing at the formal gates of their colleges, I see my father strolling out under the ochre sandstone arch, The red tiles glinting like bent plates of blood behind his head,
I see my mother with a few light books at her hip standing at the pillar made of tiny bricks with the wrought-iron gate still open behind her, its sword-tips black in the May air, they are about to graduate, they are about to get married,
I want to go up to them and say Stop, don't do it--she's the wrong woman, he's the wrong man, you are going to do things
you cannot imagine you would ever do, you are going to do bad things to children,
you are going to suffer in ways you never heard of, you are going to want to die.
I want to go up to them there in the late May sunlight and say it, her hungry pretty blank face turning to me,
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script / Int o%20the%20 Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.4)
Here, Chris describes his parents as the wrong couple. Chris states that when they got married, his parents were just a kid, damn, and innocent. Chris feels that they are not good parents for him and his sister, Carine. Thus, it can be seen that Chris grows up in a less comfortable family condition. Chris is coming from upper middle class of society, but it can not make Chris live happily. But Chris does not want to regret about this condition, he still wants live with his own way.
That voice over is continued with brief conversation with Carine.
INT. DATSUN
Chris is holding a book from w hich he reads aloud t he LAST LINE OF THE POEM ...
CHRIS
and I will tell about it.
CARINE
Who wrote that?
CHRIS
Well, it could’ve been either one of us, couldn’t it?
He hands a book of Sharon Olds’ poetry to her.
CHRIS (CONT'D)
There’s a lot of great poems in there.
CARINE
Thanks, big brother.
They exit
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script / Int o%20the%20 Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.5)
Sean Penn, in several scenes, put Chris’ sister, Carine McCandless (played by Jena Malone) as a additional narrator who tells about Chris and her own family, such as in scene in a night before Chris leave Atlanta going to north.
Carine (VO)
Chris measured himself and those around him by impossibly rigorous moral code. He risked what he could been to find some companies from the books he love from the writers like Tolstoy, Jack London, and Thoreau.
……….
That night is a huge step to Chris. Chris has felt that he is restrained by modernization tools, such as ID card, money and social security card. Chris feels he can not to be what he wants with all those stuffs. He leaves all the modern comfortable stuffs to have a new life. It can be connected with the books displayed at the scene. Certainly, those books are put not just as decoration stuffs. Those books give further understanding what kind of person Chris is. From that scene, the audiences know that Chris reads many books especially from the writers such as Stegner, Tolstoy, Thoreau, and Pasternak.
Wallace Stegner is recognized as American historian, novelist, and often called “The Dean of Western Writers”. Stegner’s works mostly are non-fiction of his life or other person biography. He is a writer who has strong care to his environment
(ht t p:/ / en.w ikipedia.org/ w iki/ Wallace_St egner).
Then, Leo Tolstoy is a Russian writer who is widely regarded as among the greatest Russian novelist. His masterpieces War and Peaceand Anna Karenina represent the peak of realist fiction. Tolstoy, then, is recognized as a fervent Christian Anarchist and nonviolent resistant. His work of The Kingdom of God Is Wit hin Youhas impact to twentieth-century figures, Gandhi and Martin Luther King,Jr
(ht t p:/ / en.w ikipedia.org/ w iki/ Leo_Tolst oy).
Then, Thoreau is recognized as writer and important figure of transcendentalism. Jack London is American novelist, journalist, essayist, and socialist He wrote popular books such as The Call of t he Wild, Whit e Fang, and The Sea Wolf
Those writers have certain similarity in theme of his works, which are about nature, adventure, non-violent movement, and social life. Even though not all of those writers are transcendentalist, their theme of writing is in arrow to transcendentalism.
Here, it can be seen that Chris get strong influences from the books that he read. He gets many learning from the books. It is not strange that he has transcendentalism values even this philosophy thought grow up in the end of nineteenth century. It this case, Chris gets transcendentalism values mostly from the books from the related authors. As Eshleman et all in Sociology an int roduct ion 4th
edit ion said “most of our basic values are learned early in lifer from family, friends, the mass media, and other sources within society” (Eshleman, 1993: 96). Values indicates what is proper or improper, they tend to justify particular types of behavior and to forbid others. In addition, Chris also has behaviors that tend to be similar with that character of those books. Chris often uses a quotation from certain books that he read (especially from Thoreau) to show him the way of thinking about certain thing.
The eye level camera angel shows the books that usually are read by Chris. It makes the audiences can focuse nad recognizes the title and the writer of thoise books. Those books are symbolizing the character of Chris. The M ise-en-Scèneof those books is important since it is not only as stuffs but also deliver meaning who is Chris actually. From the books that Chris reads, it can be concluded that Chris gets transcendentalism
values mostly from those kinds of books.
After Chris breaks his ID and burns his insurance card, he goes to the west. It is the time that he calls “my own birth” as his changing name into “Alexander Superstarmp”. Chris fells that he has a new life by this traveling and because of that he changes his name. For Chris, west is reputed as the best place. Although Chris does not tell explicitly, “West”, can be meant as west part of America which is Boston of New England. Around this place was the first place emerges of transcendentalism. Chris feels that west is the best place to live. Chris leaves Atlanta with nothing; indeed he burns his remaining cash. Chris burns his remaining cash signing his hate to the product of capitalism. Chris wants to show that he can live without money.
(ITW I/ 04/ 0.23.34)
Chris burns his remaining cash and he goes traveling without monetary. Money, here, is important to show that actually Chris is a wealthy person. Meanwhile, he thinks money
Chris’s unsympathetic to monetary also can be found when he has conversation with Jan Burres and Rainey. They are hippies that usually ride a van to travel. They offer a passenger side as they see Chris walking along Northern California highway. Jan and Rainey are getting closer and closer with Chris since they have similar interest, traveling. Jan and Rainey treat Chris so nicely. They offer some foods to Chris, and then they share each other about their life.
………..
JAN
Alex could have a vehicle. If he didn’t burn his money. Why would you want to do that?
CHRIS
I don’t need money. It makes people cautious.
JAN
Well, you have to be a little cautious
Alex. That book of yours is all well and fine but you can’t depend entirely on leaves and berries.
CHRIS
I don’t know if you’d want to depend on much more than that. JAN
CHRIS
Makin’ their money somewhere.
JAN
Come on Chris. You look like a loved kid. Be fair.
CHRIS Fair?
JAN
You know what I mean.
CHRIS
I’ll paraphrase Thoreau -- “Rather than love, than money, than fairness, give me truth.”
RAINEY
You look like shit. There’s the truth.
They all laugh.
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script / Int o%20the%20 Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.29)
In the conversation between Chris, Jan, and Rainey, it can be seen that Chris fully enjoys his condition, life without money. J. Ross Eshleman said that “The United States of America has a capitalist economic system; that is, the means of production, the land and the factories, are owned by one or more individuals” (Eshleman et all, 1993: 430). This economic condition makes profit become a major goal, provides people to accumulate wealth. Because of that, Americans judge the rich successful, while the poor is not. The success means economic success. Chris clearly shows his unsympatheticness to this Americans social life. For him money makes people cautious. Then, people usually emphasize money above all things. In this case Chris delivers the transcendentalism value which is live in simplicity. As Thoreau said “material progress was not necessity for a rich life”. (Thoreau in ht t p:/ / w w w .cliffsnot es.com/ WileyCDA/ Lit Note/
Chris’s sister, Carine, also realizes that Chris feels that materialism has bounded people’s life, especially Chris’s family. Chris feels comfortable enough with his restrictiveness.
………
I think this is when Chris began to see
“careers” as a diseased invention of the tw entieth century
and to resent money
and the useless priority people made of it in their lives. He’d begun planning to “slay the beast”...
to make himself free.
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script / Int o%20the%20 Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.16)
town. Chris does not mean he never needs monetary, but he just feels that he is comfortable enough with his restrictiveness.
(ITW II/ 05/ 01.02.26) (ITW II/ 06/ 01.05.32)
The contrast of Chris’s expressions
The left side indicates the unhappiness staying in the middle of town. Chris looks unhappy to see people in the crowd of the town. The close- up shot makes the
audiences more focus to the expression. In the other hand, the right side indicates Chris enjoys in the surrounding of water (nature). It is a middle long
shoot emphasizing both the character and the place. The M ise-en-Scèneof water represents nature as one of important thing to transcendentalism. It shows how transcendentalism values of live in simplicity and close to nature
incorporated in Chris’s characters.
They disagreed to certain government policies that carry human right away. Transcendentalists felt that they were necessary to perfection of the individual. Then, transcendentalists like Emerson, Thoreau, Theodore Parker, and others became important figure in the antislavery movement. In the 1840’s, Alcott and Thoreau refused to pay the poll tax in Concord in protest against slavery. He was jailed for his refusal, then his friends paid his taxes and he was released. Thoreau on the relation of the individual to civil government finally led him to the writing of the “Essay of Civil Disobedience” which is today regarded as a classic in the literature of non-violence. For Thoreau, resistance became important when another group was tyrannizing. Thoreau, like the other transcendentalists would never let the present of oppression to another. (Blau, 1952: 136)
Chris in Int o t he Wild also presents this transcendentalism value, animosity to oppression to the others. He is in fire describing the sick of society around him. He feels that so many people do badly to the others. He feels that there is something wrong with society around him. It is presented when Chris forwards to Wayne, his friend when he stay in Eastern South Dakota, about his willingness to live a while in Alaska.
WAYNE (CONT'D)
What’s the interest in all that?
CHRIS
I’m thinking about going to Alaska.
WAYNE
CHRIS
No, Alaska, Alaska. I want to be all the way out there. On my own. No map. No watch. No axe. Just out there. Big mountains, rivers, sky. Game. Just be out there in it. In the wild.
WAYNE In the wild.
CHRIS
Yeah. Maybe write a book about my travels. About getting out of this sick society.
WAYNE Society, right.
CHRIS
Because you know what I don’t understand?
I don’t understand why, why people are so bad to each other, so often. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Judgement. Control. All that.
WAYNE
CHRIS
You know, parents and hypocrites. Politicians and pricks.
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script / Int o%20the%20 Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.50)
Chris lives in the era of late 20thcentury that slavery has gone. But, Chris feels that he still live around sick society. He lives in the middle of people that judge and control the others. Chris clearly shows his hates to people that judge, control, or more oppress the others as he gets from his parents, hypocrites and politicians. Transcendentalism socially cares about human right. This movement attacks the societies that oppress the others. Chris does not live in slavery era, but other oppression remains be found in the society, especially in urban social life with the often people treat badly to each other.
Chris is trapped in that sick of society condition, then he wants to be free from that situation. Chris has found a new family when he lives in the middle of hippie’s society. He lives for a couple of month with the hippies. Chris looks enjoying live with this kind of society. He lives with Jan and Rayney, a hippie couple that he has known before. Chris is close to Jan and Rayney as if they are family.
RAINEY
How long can you stay with us?
Well, I’m waiting on a check from my last job to come into Salton City the day after Christmas.
I’ve got to start thinking about getting ready for Alaska. When the sun gets a little lower tonight,
I’m going to start a calisthenics routine. I think after the check comes in,
I’ll try to find some mountains I can climb everyday till spring comes. I gotta see how far the money’s gonna go.
I’m going to have to pick up a lot of supplies before spring. So, I might take another job or I might be okay.
RAINEY
Well, you know, we’ll give you a little something for every day you work the booth.
CHRIS
I’m not taking any money from you,
Rainey. It’s been a real great twist meeting you two. You look like you’re doing good.
RAINEY
We are, and you were a big part of that, coming along when you did. Yep, things are good.
Man, I used to think Tantric sex was just a bunch of reading.
Speaking of which, don’t you think you ought to introduce yourself to Joni Mitchell over there?
(ht t p:/ / w w w .dmsuklt d.com/ haw k/ paramount / into_t he_w ild_t ra/ script / Int o%20the%20 Wild%20-%20Int l%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf, p.89)
From that conversation between Chris and Rayney, it can be concluded that they are close each other although in twice meeting. Rayney, moreover, offers some money to help Chris but he rejects it. For Chris, he can meet Jan and Rayney again is a much wonderful that money that Rayney offers. Chris is only for a while living with Jan and Rayney. He feels comfortable to live with Jan and Rayney, but Alaska has become his priority.
That's when it all began There was cowboy Neal At the wheel
Of a bus to never-ever land
Grateful Dead, lyrics from "That's It for the Other One
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippie)
From the lyrics above, hippies is community that live nomadic. They
usually move from one place to another place. They are travelling to look for the
place for living. They are riding bus or van as well as their house. They shape a
community that share their live far from the law. They do not want to be banded
in certain territory or society. They indicate glorifying freedom.
Hippies sought to free themselves social restrictions, choose their own
way and find new meaning in life. Hippies often express their independence from
societal norms by their standard of dress which makes hippies instantly
recognizable from the others. They often serve dress as a visual symbol of their
respect for individual right. They question the authority and distance themselves
from straight segments of society. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippie)
This long shoot shows the sphere around of hippies. They use bus /van as their ride as well as the house. They live in a group that often move from one place to other place. Bus/ van is symbol of freedom as one of characteristic of hippies. Busses/ vans put in the middle of area with many trees show that they do
not like to live in the middle of town. This kind of society is appropriate with transcendentalist’s life.
Jan and Rayney treats Chris so nicely as if their son. Chris rakes up Jan to
his son that passes away. Chris is like finding a new family around the hippies.
For Chris, hippies are nice guys, they open up to newcomer’s curiosity. Chris is in
one mind with hippies’ philosophical life, tramping, travelling, freedom,
simplicity, close to nature life. Besides Jan and Rayney, Chris is close to Tracy,
16 years old hippie girl. Chris recognizes Tracy when he sees hippie’s music
festival. Tracy falls in love to Chris. They are close each other.
Chris looks so happy being live in the middle of the hippies. But, Chris
keeps running his intention to go to Alaska. Chris says to Rayney that he will
meet his sister, Carine, after his staying in Alaska. His desire living in Alaska has
defeated staying with the people who love him.
……….
RAINEY (CONT'D)
Do your folks know where you are?
RAINEY
Don’t you think they ought to?
CHRIS
They should. But I can’t. Not yet, anyway. I got a sister though, Carine.
She’s the most beautiful girl in the world. But, it’s all got to stay behind me until I get where I’m going.
RAINEY Alaska?
CHRIS
Yeah, Rainey. Alaska.
(http://www.dmsukltd.com/hawk/paramount/into_the_wild_tra/script/Into%20the %20Wild%20-%20Intl%20Trailer%20A%20CCSL.pdf,p.93)
Jan, Rayney, and Tracy deplores to Chris’s decision living them. Then,
Chris leaves this group of society to look for his dream, living in the wilderness
with his freedom in Alaska. It is not because Chris does not love them but because
he wants to achieve what his truth that present in deep of his heart. Chris has a big
desire staying in Alaska for several times. He also remembers to Tracy that if she
wants something in her life, she should reach out and try hard to get it.
Freedom has become a thing that Chris always wants to achieve. There are
many scenes that show Chris solidly says about freedom.
