Chapter Twelve opens with a quote by Henry David Thoreau, McCandless'literary mentor:
"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me the truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, an obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. The hospitality was as cold as the ices." (p. 117)
This parallels Chris's feelings about his family. He feels betrayed by his father, because his father did not tell him that, while dating his mother and still continuing after Chris was born, he had an affair with his ex-wife. In chapter 12, Chris describes his childhood as feeling like a work of fiction, as if none of it were true. Throughout his short life, he simply could not let go of the fact that his father had never told him the truth. He could not love a man who did not give the truth.
McCandless also resented his parents because they were rich. Just as the quote says, McCandless simply wanted what he felt was the truth, more than he wanted love. He felt that the truth was rich people were disgusting and they were ruining his country. His parents were rich and he felt they tried to buy his respect so he could not love them.
However, this is in complete contrast with his parents' feelings about him. They loved their son and they were grateful they had the means to offer him things, like money for a new car and law school. They felt that giving him money showed their love because it would help him build a successful life. They also loved and respected most of Chris's choices. They understood he was made of a different cloth than most people, and he liked things done differently. For the most part, they respected this and loved him in spite of, or perhaps because of, his wild ideas borne of significant intelligence.
Therefore, while Chris could not love his parents because of who they were, Chris's parents loved him exactly because of who he was.
No comments:
Post a Comment