41 pages • 1 hour read
Gary PaulsenA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Analyze Brian’s relationship with nature. How does he think about and treat nature? How does his relationship to nature compare and contrast with his relationships to other people in the novel (the Smallhorns, the rangers, western society)?
What literary devices does Paulsen use to create tension and suspense in the novel? Provide specific examples. Why might Paulsen have chosen these literary devices over others to convey tension and suspense?
Paulsen often details the everyday processes Brian must go through to obtain food and survive in general. What purpose do these descriptions serve? How do they relate to themes or motifs?
Discuss the theme of Personal Growth Through Experience. What are some ways Brian has changed in the last two years because of his time spent in nature? How does Brian change by the end of the novel? What does Paulsen seem to be saying about personal growth through this theme?
How does the characterization of the bear and the dog relate to the theme of Respect for Nature? What does Paulsen convey about animal-human relationships through these two animals?
Identify the novel’s narrative arc: Find its exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Choose two of these elements and analyze how Paulsen connects them through a literary lens. For instance, how does Paulsen transition between the exposition and the conflict? What literary devices does Paulsen use to build suspense during the rising action? How does Paulsen make the climax stand out from other intense moments of the novel?
How does Brian’s character compare to the typical 16-year-old boy of today? Give examples of how he is similar or different to typical teens. As a coming-of-age story for young readers, what traits and attitudes does Paulsen craft Brian to model?
Brian has precise guidelines he follows when hunting animals for food. What do these guidelines say about his view of nature? How do they interact with the gratitude motif? In what ways do Brian’s habits around food conflict with society’s habits and inform what Brian considers “ugly” about society?
Paulsen narrates Brian’s story from a third-person limited perspective. How does Paulsen’s choice of point of view affect readers’ perspective of plot events? What techniques does Paulsen use to portray Brian’s thoughts in a way that feels authentic?
Analyze Brian’s bond with the dog. How does this bond change him? What does it tell you about the basic human need for companionship? How does the dog’s history with the Smallhorns complicate or inform their bond?
By Gary Paulsen