48 pages • 1 hour read
Andrew ClementsA Week in the Woods
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 21-22Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 21 Summary: “Found”
Mark is surprised to see Mr. Maxwell, and he is even more surprised when he realizes how badly Mr. Maxwell is hurt. Mr. Maxwell’s ankle is severely bruised, his voice is hoarse, and his hair is wet. Mark helps him to sit down and quickly builds up the fire. He also offers Mr. Maxwell snacks and water and dresses him in his toque and blankets. Mr. Maxwell is quietly grateful for it all, watching in amazement as Mark handles the situation with fortitude. When he has recovered from the harrowing hike, Mr. Maxwell explains how he came searching for Mark and foolishly tried to cut him off instead of tracking his steps. In doing so, he had to go downhill and fell, pinning his ankle. In an ironic twist, Mr. Maxwell used the tool that he confiscated from Mark to saw through the branch of a maple tree and use it as a tool to pry his leg free. Mr. Maxwell also apologizes to Mark for mistreating him and expresses his understanding for Mark’s decision to take the blame for the knife and run away. He also promises to do whatever is needed to keep Mark out of trouble. He admits to being at fault for everything that went wrong. When Mark hears this heartfelt apology, his “chest [feels] so tight he [can] hardly breathe” (178). Mr. Maxwell expects no apology in return, thinking instead of the basic decency of children and appreciating Mark’s willingness to help him despite his previous mistreatment of the boy. Mr. Maxwell then suggests that they head back down the mountain to camp.
Chapter 22 Summary: “Home”
Mark and Mr. Maxwell make it to camp by late morning. Everyone is relieved to see them, although they trusted that the two would be safe. Mark and Mr. Maxwell eat pancakes and talk to the ranger about their experiences, and the energy between Mark and Mr. Maxwell is vastly improved. They smile at one another, joke around, and behave as team members rather than as enemies. Mark enjoys the rest of the week in the woods; he spends his days hiking and exploring and his nights staring at the stars. When he returns home, Anya and Leon greet him and hug him warmly. Mr. Maxwell comes to say goodbye to Mark and introduces himself to Leon and Anya. He also gives Mark the knife, explaining that Jason didn’t want it anymore. Mark gives Mr. Maxwell a warm goodbye and looks forward to seeing him on Monday.
At home, Mark talks to his parents on the phone; they were concerned to learn that he spent the night on the mountainside and are already on their way home. Mark confesses that he hopes to stay in Whitson rather than moving to Runyon Academy, and his parents’ reaction is mixed, but they are willing to discuss it. Mark asks his dad to grab the penny that he placed under the radiator in the Scarsdale home, because he hopes to plant his roots in Whitson instead and start anew. His dad does so and tells Mark that he’s proud of him. Mark feels like everything has changed for the better as tears come to his eyes.
Chapters 21-22 Analysis
In the climax of the novel, Mark and Mr. Maxwell put aside their differences, forgive one another, and work together to survive the wilderness, thus demonstrating The Interchangeable Roles of Teacher and Student as they clear up mutual misunderstandings and learn important life lessons from each other in the process. Both characters also demonstrate important practical knowledge about how to survive in the woods, including how to start a fire and how to break free from fallen debris, and how to navigate after nightfall. Because children often make it a point to glean important information from the fiction books that they read, Clements’s decision to outline this vital information also demonstrates the educational value of his storytelling. Similarly, the author provides instructions on how best to heal awkward or hostile relationship dynamics, for Mr. Maxwell openly admits to his wrongdoings in misjudging and mistreating Mark. He comes to an anagnorisis—an important moment of realization that creates a turning point in a story’s plot—when he finally understands that by judging Mark so harshly, he pushed Mark away and caused the anger and frustration that ultimately led the boy to run away. Thus, he himself is guilty of precipitating the chain of events that endangers both their lives. It is also significant that Mr. Maxwell does not expect an apology in return, for he finally understands that as the adult, it is his duty to amend the situation He also recognizes that Mark has shown greater maturity and has handled the emergency situation with patience and grace. Mark further demonstrates his strength of character by helping Mr. Maxwell despite his own anger, and by having all of the resources needed to ensure that Mr. Maxwell will be able to make it back down the mountain. Ultimately, Mark and Mr. Maxwell realize that they share something very important and meaningful in common: their love of the wilderness. Having served as teachers for one another, they finally return to camp as two changed people.
In the novel’s denouement, it is clear that things have changed drastically; as the narration states, “Everything felt different” (190), and Mr. Maxwell and Mark return from their harrowing night on the mountainside with smiles on their faces and a new sense of mutual understanding. This experience also has a profound effect on Mark’s long-term outlook and serves as the completion for his development as a dynamic character, for after the trip, he becomes more than certain than ever that he wants to stay in Whitson—a significant contrast from his initial attitude of sullen reluctance. To symbolize this change in himself, he asks his father to retrieve the penny from the Scarsdale home and bring it to Whitson—his new home. Mark’s father’s pride in him for surviving the wilderness and accepting his new life is deeply moving for Mark as he moves Redefining Manhood and coming to embody a more adult persona. He now knows that he can look forward to the rest of the school year without worry because he has resolved his conflict with Mr. Maxwell and made a friend in Jason. With these experiences, Mark matures significantly and is almost ready for middle school; by surviving the wilderness and navigating conflict with Mr. Maxwell, Mark has proven that he is wise beyond his years and is ready to tackle the next adventure that awaits him.
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By Andrew Clements
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