How did Ron Franz learn that McCandless had died?

• A. From passing hitchhikers
• B. From a newspaper obituary
• C. From a phone call
• D. From a radio broadcast

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how information travels in the world the book portrays: through real, everyday encounters on the road. Ron Franz learns that Chris McCandless has died not from a formal notice or broadcast, but from passing hitchhikers who happen to mention the news. This fits the setting and themes of the story, where connections are informal and news travels person to person as travelers meet along the highway. The other channels—obituaries, phone calls, or radio—don’t align with how Franz actually encounters the information in the narrative, making the hitchhiker account the most accurate reflection of how he learns of McCandless’s death.