From the evidence that Krakauer presented, why do you think Chris took the kind of chances he did, especially the ones that ultimately led to his death in Alaska?

McCandless had deep problems with intimacy, which are very central in his ultimately fatal two-year quest for meaning and peace. During these two years, McCandless doesn’t contact his sister, with whom he was very close, and while he meets many people and becomes close to a few, he always makes sure to maintain a certain distance.

At one point Chris leaves Ron Franz, who spends the next year or so waiting for his return, living by his tenets, while McCandless ignores the responsibilities and bonds of intimacy by going into the wilderness, where he only has himself to account to. In allowing himself to forget about the responsibilities one has in any close relationships, he ignores the harm done to those who love him when he risks his safety and his life. Chris romanticized writers like Thoreau believing that he could recreate some sort of isolated utopia in the wilds of Alaska. Unfortunately, Chris was woefully unprepared and inexperienced for going into the wild.