A Lost Family

"It didn't occur to me that the hiker might be Chris. Never even crossed my mind. It's ironic because when I read the article I thought, 'Oh, my God, what a terrible tragedy. I really feel sorry for the family of this guy, whoever they are. What a sad story.'" (Krakauer 101).

Topic: The Dynamics of Family

Sam McCandless, Chris's father, had no idea of where his son was. This shows the extreme neglect in the family. Everyone builds their traits, characteristics, and habits from how they are raised and the environment around them. Chris developed his independence and state of solitude as his father was abusive and had another family. Since Chris grew up in a hostile household, he started to just do as he wished. Before Sam found out that it was his son who died in the Alaskan wilderness, he felt terrible for the "person's" family. However, as he was telling the story, he did not seem as affected by this tragedy as a normal father would. It is sad that Chris was so innocent as a child, but his parents did not support him fully. So he abandoned his family and lived his last days in the middle of nowhere. Families must stick with each other through thick and thin. A family's purpose is to care for one another and help each other.