Janae Jones- Chris McCandless

Before coming to the Ferguson Center to hear about Chris McCandless, I had not formed an opinion about him unlike most people. True, I thought that he was demented and nobody in their right mind would try to live in the wilderness off of natural resources. I got the impression that his parents were not enmeshed in his childhood and as a result he took off without telling them. By reading the book, I thought that since Chris had fled without telling his parents, that his parents were no longer concerned about him.
I never assumed that Chris has any background of religious studies or that he was connected with God in any way, but listening to his parents told me otherwise. I do not think that Chris' expedition had anything to do with God. His love for nature began at a young age (according to his parents) and I believe he went out into the wilderness to experience it first hand what he was not able to experience as a child when he went with his family.
Hearing Chris' parents talk of his childhood allowed me to mold a different view of Chris and also of his parents. Sitting in the Ferguson Center listening to the McCandless' I began to empathize with them. I got the feeling that his mother cared about him deeply and was upset that Chris had left without returning and better yet, left without informing. I formed this thought because Mrs. McCandless said whenever the family would go on trips/vacation she would post a note on the door of the family's location, a phone number they could be reached at and the house key next door and when the family arrived back at home, the note was still posted on the door.
Listening to the parents of Chris McCandless has allowed me to see the pain from their point of view and not just of what the author wrote and what I perceived. I know some people may have more respect for Chris McCandless, but I on the other hand am neutral. He did what he wanted to and I cannot judge him for that, however I feel like throughout his journey he hurt many of his loved ones in the process and now that he is dead, he cannot change anything.