35 pages • 1 hour read
Gary PaulsenThe River
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1991A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Nature’s Beauty Versus Nature’s Power
Paulsen’s contrast between the beauty and power of nature gives the reader a fresh perspective of nature’s dominion over humans, despite human attempts to subdue it. Brian appreciates nature, even after coming close to death during his first ordeal in the woods. Brian has a much more comprehensive and authentic view of nature than most people because of his experience surviving in the woods. While the average city dweller lives near a grocery store and has never truly been hungry, Brian knows the great time and effort required to obtain food in the wilderness; he understands what real hunger feels like. Brian appreciates nature for its beauty and power, and respects it, knowing that nature can be relentless and can determine whether he lives or dies. For the young audience to which the novel is written, this representation of nature as a two-sided coin of both beauty and power acts as a learning opportunity to understand nature in a way he or she has likely never experienced.
For Derek, nature is not fully real or understood. His comfortable life separates him from the power of nature, as well as its beauty, and he romanticizes the idea of surviving in the wilderness as a game or adventure. Derek’s perspective reflects that of the typical reader who has never had to survive in nature without supplies.
Paulsen uses imagery to describe nature’s beauty through the eyes of both Brian and Derek, highlighting the calmness of the lake and vivid green of the trees. Paulsen also uses imagery to capture nature’s power. Just as the men admire the beauty surrounding them, mosquitoes attack, and their makeshift shelter does nothing to protect them from intense rain. Later when Derek is in a coma, Brian notices the calmness and warmth of the morning, while simultaneously acknowledging Derek’s comatose state. As he faces perils on the river, Brian sees the trees and river as a “soft green tunnel” (111), but moments later, gets thrown from the raft into roaring water and almost drowns. Paulsen’s contrast between nature’s beauty and power generates the reader’s respect for nature as a force that can be both admired and feared.
The Influence of Experience on One’s Character
Brian’s first time in the woods resulted in a change in his identity and worldview that Paulsen details in the first half of the novel. Brian’s time in the Canadian woods resulted in a respect for nature that others do not posses, especially not teenage boys. He has a mature relationship with his mother, is humble, and though he loves food and cooking, does not overeat. Brian has lived through an ordeal that most people never have to face; he came close to death and had to rely on resourcefulness and levelheadedness to survive.
Because of his experience in the woods, he perceives the world differently than most people. He recognizes the comforts of city life and appreciates simple things, such as grocery stores and pots and pans. Brian also has heightened senses and hears individual sounds in his environment, a skill that was crucial for survival in the woods. In his relationship with Derek, he takes on the role of an adult and decision-maker because of his experience and survival know-how. By the end of his run up the river with Derek, Brian has changed even more. He has faced severe mental and physical challenges and has matured exponentially.
By highlighting how The Time and the run up the river affected Brian, Paulsen shows that one’s experiences create one’s character. For the young audience to which he is writing, this message shows that one should choose one’s experiences carefully, as they have an impact on the person one becomes. It also shows that one should seek out experiences based on one’s goals for growth and personal development. Brian’s coming-of-age in the elements of nature suggests that one’s experiences, especially during adolescence, will shape the rest of one’s life.
Luck Versus Decision-Making for Survival
Paulsen contrasts the role of luck with the role of decision-making throughout the novel to show that both are needed for survival in the woods and in an emergency. During his first time in the woods, Brian attributes his success to luck rather than his own skills. For example, when Derek first comes to see Brian, Brian states that he survived due to luck. However, Derek says it was more than luck and attributes Brian’s survival to his psychological process. Later, when the men arrive at the lake and search for shelter, food, and a fire stone, Brian waits for good luck, which eventually follows his bad luck. Brian falls off an embankment but lands near a fire stone that he would not have seen otherwise. Through these examples of luck at the beginning of the novel, Paulsen shows that Brian sees a large part of his success as lucky, and that luck does indeed play an important role in survival.
As the story develops, Paulsen highlights instances of Brian’s decision-making as necessary for survival. For example, Brian chooses to remain calm in unnerving situations, such as when attacked by mosquitoes, when he finds Derek is unresponsive, and when he gets separated from the raft on the river. Brian’s choices to keep from panicking prove essential for making logical decisions and taking action. All of Brian’s decisions after Derek is struck by lightning eventually lead to their survival. For example, Brian decides to build the raft, chooses to leave on the river to try and reach the trading post, and opts to continue paddling and swimming despite immense exhaustion. Brian must take action to stay alive and save Derek, and his decisions prove to be crucial for survival.
Even in the midst of key decisions, Brian still experiences luck that contributes to his survival. For example, when he needs logs to build the raft, he finds a grove of trees cut down by beavers. Through uses of both luck and Brian’s decision-making, Paulsen shows that both are necessary components of survival. While Brian’s decisions contribute vastly to Derek’s rescue, good luck also proves crucial for survival.
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