answers, Krakauer develops his own theory that McCandless consciously chose to avoid any human relationship after his separation from his family, so that he could bear, without fully appreciating, the loss of such relationships. For example, Krakauer states that McCandless continued to head north after Ron Franz, an elderly man who treated McCandless as his son, expressed a desire to adopt him. He explains, “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north…relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the emotional baggage that comes with it. He had fled the catastrophic confines of his family. He’s successfully kept Jane Burres and Wayne Westerberg at arm’s length, flitting out of their lives before anything was expected of him. And now he’d slipped painlessly out of Ron Franz’s life as well” (55). Although there may be truth in Krakauer’s theory, Krakauer’s own personal experiences definitely played a part in understanding McCandless seemingly cruel behavior towards his family. Krakauer’s recollection of his past relationship with his own father sheds insight into the type of struggle McCandless experienced with his father, who he once respected. However, during his adolescent years learned that his father could not be farther …show more content…
Wisdom sparked the need for public awareness. Krakauer’s mission is to provide future awareness, to young men and women, about the risks they may be taking, so that they do not find themselves in same predicaments as McCandless or Krakauer. The only difference between the two is that Krakauer survived to tell his