Was Chris Privileged?

Chris Privileged?

          Before going on his epic journey, was Chris privileged by means of his upbringing?  The McCandless was upper middle class family. They lived in the suburbs.  Both of Chris's parents graduated from a University.  His father worked for NASA and later started a consulting business with his wife Billie.  They worked long hours and less time with the children. Chris's family was able to afford a nice house in Annandale, a Cadillac, a boat, and have a college fund for their children.  He never experienced hunger while living at home.  There was plenty of food provided by his parents.  Both Chris and Carine had the joy of going on family vacations.  

         To illustrate another privilege that Chris had was his college education.  There are a lot of families where they could not afford to send their child/children to college.  Some high school students who qualify to go to an Ivy school or a University but unable to attend because lack of funds to pay for college.  Either their parents don't have the money to send them or they don't have a college fund and then they would have to work, get a grant or a student loan to go to school.  Chris was able to attend Emory University in Atlanta.  "The final two years of his college education had been paid for with a forty-thousand-dollar bequest left by a friend of the family's; more twenty-four-thousand-dollars remained at the time of Chris's graduation (Krakauer, pp.20)."  Chris McCandless was privileged unlike other students, his college was fully paid.  In addition,  if  Chris wanted to continue  his education by going to graduate school at Harvard University,  his parents were willing to pay the difference once the college fund was completely depleted.  Chris McCandless had the privilege of a good upbringing that his parents provided food, shelter and all financial needs were met.