Setting
Two primary settings dominate the narrative: the expansive sky and the wilderness. The initial three chapters take place during the flight, while the subsequent sixteen chapters occur in the wilderness surrounding the lake where the plane crashes. Both landscapes serve as vast stages that dwarf the presence of a single individual. While visually stunning to behold, they pose significant dangers to the unprepared or inexperienced.
The wilderness depicted is neither a cultivated garden nor an uninhabitable wasteland. Nature demands labor for sustenance, yet it also presents opportunities for resourcefulness. The natural environment serves as a repository of nourishment and tools awaiting discovery and utilization. A wide variety of birds and animals live in the picturesque lake, which is teeming with aquatic life and encircled by a thick, green forest. Paulsen’s portrayal of the wilderness is grounded in realism, capturing both the splendor of sunsets casting golden hues on the lake’s waters and the torment of relentless mosquito swarms. The landscape is neither excessively romanticized nor unnecessarily portrayed to depict only threats.
A rocky ledge by the lakeside serves as a natural vantage point and shelter. This ledge becomes Brian’s shelter, which offers protection against the elements. Here, he learns to start a fire and stores his gradually accumulating provisions, tools, and supplies. It is here that he rests, grappling with his thoughts and anxieties about dangers, survival, and “The Secret.”
