53 pages • 1 hour read
Farley MowatLost In The Barrens
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1956A 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 14-20 Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 14 Summary: “Camp at the Deer Fence”
The next week the boys are busy preparing to wait out the winter in the Barrens. With Awasin directing the chores, they hunt and preserve food, work on the shelter and better clothing. Jamie makes a stone igloo and covers it in animal hide and willow thatch while Awasin makes moccasins and parkas from animal hides, sewing them using sinew. They improvise a net and string it across the river, catching many fish, some as long as five feet.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring Awasin working on a piece of deer hide.
Chapter 15 Summary: “The Hidden Valley”
The boys sense that winter is coming, and they have not yet gathered firewood to stay warm. They have fish frozen in the bog by the river, buried deer meat, and dried tea leaves. They have dried berries and pemmican. Soon the deer thin and are gone, with Awasin certain the bucks will follow before winter. One morning when the snows appear, they set off to the forest for wood and find remnants that prove long ago the whole area was underwater. Awasin confirms this discovery with a Cree legend. They find a hidden valley filled with trees.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring the boys in their hand-made parkas looking into the wilderness. A hand-sketched map on Page 75 depicts the route Jamie and Awasin take north, Denikazi’s route north, and the caribou migratory routes.
Chapter 16 Summary: “The Coming of the Bucks”
The boys explore the hidden valley and find it filled with bucks, trout, and trees for fuel. They know instantly that they should move into the valley for winter. They find a shortcut through the valley to their old camp and believe the day is lucky. They return to what they now call Stone Igloo Camp and make plans to move their primary camp to Hidden Valley. At last, the bucks arrive, and Jamie fires while Awasin stabs with his spear and is soon covered in blood.
The next day, Awasin spots ravens on the horizon and knows the buck herd is coming south. Jamie takes the gun and Awasin a spear, and they wait. When the bucks come, they kill and kill until finally they stop. The buck herd still stretches on for hours, and they wait until the herd at last passes before retreating to the stone igloo.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring Awasin shooting his rifle at a herd of approaching bucks.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Building a Home”
Awasin and Jamie are so shocked by the slaughter, and their horrible role in it, that they cannot move: “The reaction from the slaughter was so great that they did not even talk of preparing the meat they had killed. They had seen too much blood that day, and too much death” (85). Once foxes fill the killing field and begin to eat the bucks, they stir and respond. Awasin claims that they are no better than murderers if they waste the meat. They killed 47 bucks that day and spent the next four days processing the meat and hides and boiling fat out of the marrow and freezing it as suet. Awasin takes inventory of over 100 fish, 200 pounds of fat in suet and lard, 60 pounds of deer meat, and much more, including berries, tea leaves, and skins.
They retreat into Hidden Valley and begin construction on a log cabin. After an entire day, they have only one log and agree that the cabin won’t be possible. Jamie has the idea to build the cabin using upright, shorter logs rather than cutting long, thick trees for a traditional horizontal structure. They set to work and have a frame up within two days. After 10 days, the cabin is up and the boys return to Stone Igloo Camp for supplies. They return afterward to Hidden Valley and construct a roof with a peak so smoke from their cook stove can vent. They finish the door, window, and vent, then test the interior. Winter arrives in full force in Hidden Valley, and the boys turn their attention to making better clothing out of the buck skins.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring the two boys building a log cabin.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Of Wolverines and Sleds”
During the night, a wolverine arrives and eats 20 pounds of meat stored on the cabin roof. The boys make a cache, but the wolverine manages to get at the meat again. Awasin recalls how “[t]he Chipeweyans say wolverines aren’t animals at all, but devils” (96). They fear the animals have attacked their cache at Stone Igloo Camp, and after trial and error, build a sled to transport everything to one spot. At Stone Igloo Camp, they find only one cache ruined by wolverines. At another cache, they find grizzly prints, quickly load the sled, and return to Hidden Valley.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring a sulking wolverine.
Chapter 19 Summary: “Gifts from the Dead”
Jamie and Awasin spot something manmade in the distance while pulling the sled on one of many runs between the two camps. Jamie wants to investigate, but Awasin isn’t as certain. Jamie inspects the object and finds it is a grave, possibly Inuit, where he finds arrowheads and other helpful tools. Awasin is angry that Jamie has robbed the dead, but he agrees to look at the artifacts. He realizes one of the bowls is a lamp. He makes a wick and fills the basin with lard. They realize the spirits are helpful and good and have provided gifts for the boys.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring the boys hauling the loaded sled over heavy snow.
Chapter 20 Summary: “Winter Strikes”
Jamie is awakened by the fawn to find a blizzard has struck the valley. Stuck inside, they work on new moccasins and making a bow. The bow snaps on the first pull, and Jamie is upset. The fawn eats the moss of Awasin’s mattress and refuses to go into the storm. They make another bow and use sinew to strengthen the wood. This bow works. When the storm finally passes, they decide they will return to Stone Igloo Camp for willow branches to make arrows.
An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring the little cabin in heavy snow through thick winds.
Chapters 14-20 Analysis
Awasin and Jamie’s resourcefulness and adaptability are evident as they prepare for winter, showcasing their growth in self-reliance and teamwork. They hunt and preserve food, work on shelter and clothing, and improvise a net to catch fish. Awasin directs the chores, while Jamie’s creativity and problem-solving skills complement his guidance. This division of labor demonstrates their ability to work together effectively, highlighting the theme of The Strength of Found Families. Through their shared struggles and reliance on each other, they have formed a bond stronger than blood ties.
The boys’ emotional response to the buck slaughter reveals their humanity and capacity for empathy, demonstrating a deeper understanding of the natural world and their place within it. Awasin’s claim that they are no better than murderers if they waste the meat highlights their growth in responsibility and respect for nature, underscoring The Paradox of Killing to Live. They spend days processing the meat and hides, boiling fat out of the marrow, and freezing it as suet. This grueling process showcases their determination to survive and thrive while grappling with the moral complexities of taking life to sustain their own.
Awasin’s inventory of their supplies highlights their resourcefulness and preparedness, while Jamie’s innovative approach to building the log cabin showcases his creative problem-solving skills. They retreat into Hidden Valley and begin construction, initially struggling to make progress. However, Jamie’s idea to build the cabin using upright, shorter logs leads to a breakthrough, and they complete the frame within two days. This accomplishment demonstrates their growth in perseverance and adaptability, as well as their ability to establish a new home together, exemplifying the theme of The Strength of Found Families.
The wolverines’ persistent attacks on their food caches introduce an element of tension and challenge, testing the boys’ resilience and adaptability. Awasin’s comment that wolverines are considered devils by the Denésuliné highlights their respect for nature and its creatures, further emphasizing The Paradox of Killing to Live. They build a sled to transport their supplies, and their fear of grizzly prints at Stone Igloo Camp showcases their awareness of the dangers around them, underscoring the delicate balance between survival and coexistence with nature.
Awasin’s initial hesitation to investigate the grave and his subsequent understanding of the helpful spirits demonstrate his growth in openness and acceptance, as well as the boys’ ability to find sustenance and support in unexpected places. Jamie’s discovery of the grave and the useful tools within showcases their resourcefulness and appreciation for the natural world while Awasin’s realization that one of the bowls is a lamp and his creation of a wick and lard to light it highlights their ability to find light in darkness, symbolizing hope and resilience. Through their experiences, they have formed a found family, bound together by shared struggles and Living in Harmony With Nature.
The blizzard and their confinement indoors allow for character development, as they work on new skills and face setbacks, such as the broken bow. The fawn’s presence throughout the chapters adds a touch of warmth and companionship, symbolizing the boys’ connection to nature and their capacity for compassion. As they navigate the challenges of survival, they demonstrate that the bonds they form with each other and the natural world are as strong as blood ties.
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