What are the historical events in "The Sign of the Beaver"?
"The Sign of the Beaver" takes place in 1769 in Maine. It is during this time in Colonial America that conflict between the British and colonists begins to escalate. The French and Indian War had ended five years prior. The British needed to raise money to keep troops in America. At the time of this story, various tax acts were imposed on the colonists to raise the money to keep the troops in America, which further escalated the conflict between the two groups.
In addition to a time of conflict between the British and colonists, and more central to the novel's storyline, there is the ongoing conflict between Native Americans and the white settlers who continue to expand their territory. As the white move into Native American lands, they take land from the Native Americans using unfair treaties the Native Americans cannot read. In the novel, one reason...
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Saknis wants Matt to teach Attean to read is so that Attean can read the white treaties and avoid Native Americans being cheated.
What is the climax of The Sign of the Beaver?
The climax of The Sign of the Beaver occurs when Matt must make the choice of whether to stay at his family's cabin and wait for them to return or to join Attean's tribe and travel to a less populated area.
This choice is an extremely difficult one for Matt to make. Throughout the story, we see how Attean's family takes Matt in, treating him as their equal, and Matt learns to trust them with his life. Attean and Matt become as close as brothers, and though the Native American tribe feels some animosity towards white people in general, they are all friendly with and welcoming to Matt. The affection that has grown in his heart for them and their way of life makes the opportunity to go with them and be a permanent part of their tribe very appealing to Matt; yet, he decides not to go. Charged with keeping his father's cabin safe until his family's return, Matt does not walk away from his responsibilities. This decision is even more impressive when we consider how Matt is at this point not even totally sure his family will ever come back at all, as they are long overdue and he has no means of communicating with them. Still, he stays. His loyalty to them and his sense of personal responsibility mark his newfound maturity.
At its core, The Sign of the Beaver is a coming of age story, and Matt's ultimate choice not to abandon his family, though that means giving up a life he may have preferred, shows that he is leaving behind his carefree boyhood and becoming a man who must and does make the right choices, even if they are difficult for him.
What are the five key events in The Sign of the Beaver?
I believe that the five most important incidents in the story The Sign of the Beaver include the following -
- Matt is left alone to take care of the family's settlement in Maine Territory while his father returns to Massachusetts to bring back his mother and siblings.
- The Indian Saknis rescues Matt when the boy is attacked by a horde of angry bees. Saknis provides for Matt until he is well, and in return, asks Matt to teach his grandson Attean to read.
- Matt and Attean kill an angry bear together. Until that time, the two boys did not get along very well, but after that, they develop a mutual respect; Matt is invited to Attean's village by Saknis to celebrate.
- Attean finds his manitou, which allows him to take his place as a man in his tribe.
- Saknis and Attean invite Matt to accompany the tribe when they leave the area in the winter, but Matt, remaining loyal to the promise he made to his father, politely refuses. Matt's act earns him the unqualified respect of the Indians, who understand the courage and integrity required by the boy in making the decision.
What is the rising action in The Sign of the Beaver?
In The Sign of the Beaver, the rising action begins when Matt Hallowell is returning home from dinner with Attean's tribe. He hears the whining of an animal in pain and finds that Attean's dog has been caught in a metal trap. He runs back to the camp looking for Attean but finds only his grandmother, who speaks no English and dislikes Matt in any case. He then encounters Attean's sister, who agrees to help him, and together they return to the trap and free the dog.
At this point, Attean himself arrives on the scene, and his joyful reunion with his dog reminds Matt of his father's dog greeting him at home, making him feel homesick. Matt returns to the camp again, where he is finally accepted by Attean's grandmother, who is impressed that a white boy would take such trouble over one of the tribe's dogs.