Chris Chambers is a good-hearted kid that lives in the distasteful shadow of his father, a petty criminal and dreg of society. Although Chris wants people to judge him individually and fairly, he is pigeonholed by society as a troublesome punk from a family of losers. Chris Chambers is the brother of a hoodlum who goes by the name of Eyeball, who is a menace to many people. Chris, although he is a good kid, is always blamed when bad things happen. Everyone expects him to turn out like his older brother, Eyeball.
He does not appreciate the fact that his brother is a hoodlum and tries very hard to be a good kid, but everyone expects him to be bad. Therefore, being the rational person of the friends, Chris does not argue back with anyone, he just tries to find the best way out of conflicts so that no harm is done. Chris is a fairly rough but fiercely loyal, caring, intelligent and sensitive boy who comes from a ruffian family and is viewed as a thief and troublemaker as his alcoholic father is one and so is his hoodlum gang member brother, Eyeball Chambers.
Chris is best friends with sensitive loss-damaged intelligent writer, Gordon LaChance, whose parents treat him as if he is not their son. Following the loss of their first son that they had paid attention to, they pay very little attention to Gordie. Chris acts as a father to Gordie and possesses the faith that he will not end up in the smart courses like Gordie, but rather in the basic courses alongside their other two friends, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio.
Chris, during the Labor Day Weekend of 1959 at 11 years old, set off alongside Gordie, Teddy and Vern to find the body of a boy their age named Ray Brower who attended the neighboring town’s school, Chamberlain. He had been reported missing and Vern’s brother’s best friend Charlie Hogan had confided in him that the boy Ray Browers was indeed dead as a result of a passing train that had hit while he was out picking blueberries near Back Harlow Road. The boys devised a cover up plan and set off to find the body and take credit for the discovery.
Chris said that his father would still bring down abuse on him despite the great discovery they would make, but he would not mind, as the fame would be worth it. Ultimately, Chris and the others faced off against his brother and the hoodlum gang, which included Vern’s older brother. Through Gordie’s courageous actions with the gun of Chris’ father he hocked, they saved the body and made the decision to make an anonymous phone call reporting Ray Brower. Chris along with the others then returned to Castle Rock, not speaking until they got back home. He said goodbye to Vern, Teddy, and Gordie.
Then as he grew up, he remained friends with Gordie until college, but as of hitting full high school fell out of friendship with Vern and Teddy. Chris succeeded in law in the college courses he took and ultimately became an attorney. One night while entering the line at a fast food restaurant, two men got into a fight. Chris stepped over trying to help the two, but one of the men withdrew a knife and stabbed him in the jugular, killing him instantly. His death lead to an older Gordie at age 40 getting the hard material to write a story based on them, even detailing his killing.
