Question

16. Explain the quote “Chastity is the flowering of man; and what are called Genius, Heroism, holiness, and the like, are but various fruits which succeed it.” How does this quote help to answer questions about McCandless’s personality and his journey?

Answer 1

The quote suggests that chastity leads to higher virtues, paralleling Chris McCandless's pursuit of purity and authenticity through his Alaskan journey, which allowed him to develop noble qualities.

Step-by-step explanation:

The quote “Chastity is the flowering of man; and what are called Genius, Heroism, holiness, and the like, are but various fruits which succeed it” can be interpreted to mean that chastity, or the control of one's baser impulses and desires, leads to the development of higher qualities and virtues in a person. In the context of Chris McCandless's story, this quote suggests that McCandless's ascetic choices and rejection of materialism could be seen as a form of chastity, which in turn allowed him to pursue his own form of genius or heroism through his exploration of the wild and his quest for personal truth.

Through this lens, McCandless's journey is a reflection of his pursuit for purity and higher virtues, rejecting the societal norms and material comforts in favor of self-discovery and authenticity. His journey to Alaska and the challenges he faced there can be understood as a flowering of his character, where his principles and character were tested and ultimately lead to the various “fruits” of his endeavors, whether that be considered as heroism, the embracing of beauty or pursuit of a personal ideal.

Answer 2

The quote answers the trait of passion that McCandless and his journey.

Step-by-step explanation:

The quote, “Chastity is the flowering of man; and what are called Genius, Heroism, holiness, and the like, are but various fruits which succeed it.” referred to the how rewarding chastity is. According the quote, when a man includes chastity as a fundamental rule to live by, he is delivered with the 'fruits' or reward of being called a hero who dedicated himself to practice something like chastity, an act to be considered as holy and remained pure. And only when a man gives himself a chaste life, he'd be called a man of genius.

This quote mentioned above was written in one of the books by Thoreau whose books were like bibles to McCandless. He had been giving deep thoughts to purity and chastity for a lot and for a long period of time. One of the main characteristic that was a part of his personality was passion. He was passionate about what Thoreau and Tolstoy had to say and thought about them often. His passion also came into play for adventure, trying new things and experience 'changed horizon' which ultimately lead him to go on a journey.