Throughout MCandless's journey he meets many people. Three that are especially important are Jan Burre, Ronald Franz, and Wayne Westerberg. Why do you think he continues to correspond and visit these people long after he first meets them?

Into the Wild Chapters 6-9 Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver

In Ronald Franz we see an example, probably the strongest one, of someone who quickly becomes very attached to McCandless. With Franz it is so extreme that he asks to adopt McCandless, and changes his lifestyle completely, following Chris’s advice. Yet this also, somewhat painfully, puts McCandless’s selfishness in stark relief—although he accepts a fair amount of help from Franz, he leaves him before too much can be expected from him, and McCandless’s death causes the old man to lose his strong faith in God, and to take up drinking again. This illuminates the actual costs of McCandless’s risky behavior, not just to himself but to those who care for him.