Chapter 16 Question 45

    I believe that even knowing it would have helped Chris' family with their worry, it was not Stuckey's place to call Chris' parents. Stuckey was just one of the few people that Chris met on his journey, maybe someone who had a little more relevance than others, but not family, not someone who had the authority to go against Chris' free choice to live out in the wild. Chris was an adult when he made the decision, Chris was an adult when he started his journey, Chris was old enough to decide whether or not he wanted to keep in contact with his family or not. Evening knowing one choice might be better than the other, it was Chris' choice, no ones else's and no one else knew Chris' relationship truly with his parents besides Chris. If Stuckey had called Chris' parents, I think it might have just been another obstacle in Chris' journey, it could have been just another reason for him to revolt against his parents. Obviously, if he left without contacting his parents, nothing could change his mind now, especially with them trying to force him to come home. I do not think that Chris would have came home. His parents could not force him because that would be kidnapping. Chris was old enough to decide where he was going to live and what he was going to do with his life, whether his parents liked it or not. I think what would have happened would be just a farther distance between Chris and his parents if that was possible.