The narrative has returned to the beginning of the text. Reflecting on what you’ve learned of Chris and of young adventurers, does the “circle” seem an effective narrative tool? Explain your answer.

The circle is effective and made more poignant by what the reader understands about Chris. Although we might applaud Chris's spirit and counter-culture principles, we know something that Chris does not realize until before he dies: we know that people need other people. Chris thrived on the people he met and the lives he touched. Ending up alone in the woods and unprepared destroyed him.