Quotes
The memory was like a knife cutting into him. Slicing deep into him with hate. The Secret.The memory was like a knife cutting into him. Slicing deep into him with hate. The Secret.
Brian grapples with the burden of a secret throughout the novel, a struggle that weighs particularly heavily on him in the early chapters. It isn’t until Chapter 4 that readers are made aware of what the secret is: Brian has witnessed his mother being unfaithful toward his father with an unidentified man in a station wagon within the mall parking lot. His prolonged solitude in the forest offers Brian the necessary distance from his family to confront and ultimately reconcile with this secret, which finally ceases to be that powerful at the end of the story.
For the first time since the crash he was not thinking of himself, or his own life. Brian was wondering if the bear was as surprised as he to find another being in the berries.
These lines in Chapter 7 are significant, as this is the first time since the crash that Brian has thought beyond his own existence to appreciate the intricate workings of nature, particularly the behavior of its living beings. As he encounters a bear amidst the berry bushes, Brian perceives a mutual acknowledgment of each other’s presence: the bear respects his presence, and reciprocally, Brian respects its presence. This mutual respect represents a significant stride toward Brian’s understanding of the natural world, which further paves the way for his own integration into the natural ecosystem at the end of the novel.
He did not know how long it took, but later he looked back on this time of crying in the corner of the dark cave and thought of it as when he learned the most important rule of survival, which was that feeling sorry for yourself didn’t work. It wasn’t just that it was wrong to do, or that it was considered incorrect. It was more than that—it didn’t work.
In Chapter 8 of the book, a porcupine attacks Brian, and after removing the numerous quills from his hurt leg, he collapses in complete despair. However, once he recovers, these lines capture what he considers “the most crucial rule of survival.” This instance marks a significant juncture in both the narrative progression and the evolution of Brian’s persona. While there are other moments in the story, notably Brian’s struggles with suicidal thoughts, this particular quote highlights the initial instance where Brian reviews his state of misery and draws an important lesson from it—that nothing will come off by feeling sorry for oneself, as it’s absolutely ineffective. This realization recurs repeatedly, revitalizing Brian’s determination to maintain a positive outlook and remain proactive in his efforts to survive.
He was not the same. The plane passing changed him, the disappointment cut him down and made him new. He was not the same and would never be again like he had been. That was one of the true things, the new things. And the other one was that he would not die, he would not let death in again.
This excerpt from Chapter 13 allows the reader to understand Brian’s mental state following his attempted suicide after the plane passed overhead without detecting him. Emerging from a state of despair and self-destructiveness, Brian resolves to change himself. He embraces life with renewed vigor, embodying a newfound sense of vitality. Brian’s shift in perspective is so profound that he perceives himself as a fundamentally altered person, a new person altogether, who will not succumb to death.
“But there is a difference now,” he thought—there really is a difference. “I might be hit but I’m not done. When the light comes I’ll start to rebuild. I still have the hatchet and that’s all I had in the first place.”
In Chapter 16, within the brief span of a single day, Brian endures both a harrowing encounter with a moose and the devastating impact of a tornado on his camp, resulting in severe injuries and the destruction of everything that he had so painstakingly built. Whereas the previous incarnation of Brian may have succumbed to despair and self-indulgence, the transformed Brian demonstrates remarkable resilience, swiftly rebounding from adversity. These lines display a newfound confidence Brian has in his abilities and an unwavering determination to persevere in the face of difficulty, which contrasts greatly with how he was when he first arrived in the wilderness.
It was a strange feeling, holding the rifle. It somehow removed him from everything around him. Without the rifle he had to fit in, to be part of it all, to understand it and use it—the woods, all of it. With the rifle, suddenly, he didn’t have to know; did not have to get close to a foolbird to kill it—didn’t have to know how it would stand if he didn’t look at it and moved off to the side.
In Chapter 19, Brian finds the rifle within the survival pack that he has retrieved from the plane. Taken aback to see it, Brian finds it a misfit amidst the natural surroundings. Despite the many challenges he has faced in the wilderness, Brian finds a certain allure and dignity in self-reliance that the rifle undermines. Additionally, the rifle symbolizes the encroachment of technology into the pristine wilderness. While Brian had previously relied on rudimentary tools like a bow and arrow and a fish spear for survival, the rifle is a huge leap in sophisticated weaponry, which is alien in nature. And while it is undoubtedly useful during hunting, Brian’s refusal to use it serves as a testament to the profound transformation his wilderness experience has wrought upon his lifestyle. These lines also indicate how Brian is increasingly becoming more comfortable in his surroundings as he refuses to use advanced technology.
Many of the changes would prove to be permanent. Brian had gained immensely in his ability to observe what was happening and react to it; that would last him all his life. He had become more thoughtful as well, and from that time on he would think slowly about something before speaking.
The epilogue provides readers with a glimpse into what happened after Brian was rescued, emphasizing the enduring change he undergoes due to his wilderness ordeal. In accordance with the conventions of a bildungsroman, the lessons acquired and the personal evolution experienced by Brian do not disappear upon his return to urban life. Rather, they become intrinsic facets of his being. Despite the trauma inherent in many aspects of the experience, it proves enriching for others as he becomes a more thoughtful and sensitive person.
