We learn many things about Chris in chapter 4; like the following things. He was caught in a flash flood (#1). This is what prompts him to abandon his car; he’s killed his battery trying to get it “unstuck”, and he was not supposed to even be in the area where he was (#2). Therefore, that was illegal or arrogant or both, depending on how you want to look at it. He writes a note to whoever finds the car, “that if they can get it out, they can have it” (#3). Just a little sarcastic, probably out of anger and frustration. This is around the time he also burns the rest of his money (#4). This is to prove the point he does not need “possessions”, but later on when a job in California does work out for him, he steals a bike, in order to leave town (#5). He could have bought a bike with money, and hey, is a bike a material possession? (I think so.) He allows himself to become disoriented and dehydrated from the heat of the summer, and is helped by a couple of boaters, who find him. Lets reevaluate the survival skills. He has by this time, survived on his ability to find and consume edible plants (#6). He gets a police citation for hitchhiking (#7). He gives his parents address to the officer, that is a rather passive-aggressive thing to do. I mean, he wants to be away from them, but having the ticket sent to them, is like letting them know where he is, and that maybe not making the best of choices. It works, because his parents go to the extent and expense of hiring a private investigator to try to track him down. (#8). People can have “phases”, etc.; but I think they felt something was not only wrong, but inappropriate. Chris had met Jan Burres and her boyfriend. (#9). He likes them, because he writes them postcards, but Jan is fond of Chris, because he is around her son’s age. She does not exactly think he has made some wise decisions either. He survives going through the desert, in Arizona. (#10) He gets a canoe to go down the Colorado River. (#11) The writings in his diary get weird by the time he is in Mexico. (#12) The whole canoe idea, does not work well for him either, due to areas of marshland. (#13) He refers to himself, in a third person way in his diary. (#14) He also comments about Mexican people being nicer than Americans. (#15) He gets bailed out by some hunters who get him back to the ocean. (#16) He also has some problems at the ocean, do to severe storms. (#17) So many things have told me by now that, he was not prepared. I do not understand why he felt he was. He had survived for months on rice, (#18) but the wilderness of Alaska is a harsher thing to endure. Previously he had buried a gun of his (#19), and then while coming back to the U.S. from Mexico, he gets his handgun taken by customs officials, while crossing the border. (#20).
Back in the states, he tries to reenter society and work in both L.A., and Las Vegas, but neither time does it last.
I suppose it seems like he probably felt like he at least partially fulfilled some of their “expectations” of him. He wanted to escape from the reality he had been living for some time. He mentions their trip to Paris, it made me wonder, if they were in Paris, when he was graduating. They missed his graduation; he may have taken that as a “smack in the face”. Maybe if they were guiltlessly able to think of themselves as top priority, then he felt he should do the same for a while. His message is very “matter of fact”, it did not include personal details, or emotions.
His money and possessions, possibly for him seemed to represent the “overly financially and materialistic way of life”, that so many people, including his family live. He wanted to abandoned this mindset, and begin anew. The same could be said for changing his surname, by dropping “McCandless”, he is dropping their ideals and expectations. The drastic actions are somewhat melodramatic; to exhibit how important these changes were to him. A way to show his family, or people around him. Maybe, even to convince himself, to pump himself up, get himself motivated for what he wanted to do. I have always felt from the beginning of the book that Chris, was a bit emotionally disturbed. Therefore, I think this alone, explains, his over the top, sometimes inappropriate actions that he does. He does not just get angry or frustrated and want a vacation. This is much more a case of “I’ll show you!” This type of attitude, is never productive. It lacks maturity and good communication skills.
Do you think he was really trying to re-enter society, or merely to give himself a break from his nomadic lifestyle, or maybe trying to gain cash to help him on his way? I find your point that they didn't show up to his graduation to be an interesting one. He did it as a duty, for them really, and the fact that they wouldn't come congratulate him on that achievement may have strengthened his resolve to leave, and may have possibly been the catalyst for his not telling them where he was going. You say he lacks maturity and communication skills, but could he really have lived this way without interference if he had acted in a mature manner and communicated with his parents?
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