Open Response: Death of an Innocent

Chris's parents do not understand the path Chris has chosen for his life, while his sister understands why he is taking this journey. For instance, Chris has just graduated from college but decides to drop everything and travel as a "supertramp". Chris's parents have just paid for his college education and they do not understand why he is giving up on his education. They also do not understand the point of Chris traveling around the country by himself and begin to worry a lot about the path he has chosen for his life. Although Chris's sister, who Chris was very close to believes that his journey is worth it. She says that she feels fine about his adventure because it is making him happy and that he had to do it to prove to himself. Also, at the end of the story Chris's parents still feel bad because they can not bring themselves to understand why he wanted this journey. Leaving his parents without notice of his trip, Chris also left his parents without answers. When they received  word of his death they were devastated because they were left to wonder why such an educated young man took such a strange path of travel and ultimately died. Chris's sister was upset but believed that he died proving himself. As people tried to rule his death as a suicide she spoke out against the comment saying her brother was not like that, it was about proving to himself that he could survive the journey. During his life and after he died Chris's parents were confused and not understanding of his journey while his sister believed that he took the journey for self-reassurance.