The author uses testimony of others to convey Chris’s journey on finding his freedom from society.He uses the testimony of Westerberg and Andy Horwitz to show Chris’s journey. Westerberg states that “He read a lot.Used a lot of big words.I think maybe …show more content…
First,the author states that he was like McCandless in the way that male authority aroused him and that if something captured his attention,he would be obsessed with it till it pleased him(pg 134).This tells us that if something caught Chris’s eye,he would be obsessed with it.One thing Chris was already obsessed with was going to Alaska.Many people told him not to go but he went and he believed that this trip would be his only way of obtaining his freedom.He could do whatever he wanted in the wilderness and that is what it lead to.This obsession lead to him living close to death and that was his perception of having freedom,away from society and those who cared about him..Another characteristic that the author mentions is Westerberg’s conclusion which was that “Both father and son were stubborn and high strung.Given Walt’s need to exert control and Chris’s extravagantly independent nature,polarization was inevitable. Chris submitted to Walt’s authority through high school and college to a surprising degree,but the boy raged inwardly all the while.”(pg 64). Chris was stubborn and he wouldn’t let anyone or anything that could stop him to find his ultimate freedom.He had many people tell him to not go to Alaska because it could kill him. But this stubborn