Why do you think Chris left his family?

Chris had developed romantic notions about hitting the road and severing ties with materialistic society. Unfortunately Chris included his family in the society he loathed. Chris was unable to decipher between people that loved him and the consumer driven world. He idolized writers like Thoreau and Emerson who espoused a solitary life of austerity. Chris, however, was not ready for the realities of his quest.