One of the themes in the novel was wisdom. Wisdom is portrayed in the novel by Daniel's parents. The wisdom of his parents enables them to survive longer than many other people. In the text it says, "She also insisted that we pack our warmest clothes, and our best winter coats, and wear our ski boots!" This was very wise of Daniel's mother because they did not know how long they would be gone and where they were being sent to. Daniel also says, "They may have saved my life. While others tried to struggle through the winter in shoes, we had warm boots." Another example of Daniel's parents using wisdom is when Daniel's father told them not to sell anything. Daniel's father said, "We don't know how long we will be here. We must behave prudently