Student Question
Can you give an example of Matt's resourcefulness in The Sign of the Beaver?
Quick answer:
Matt's resourcefulness in "The Sign of the Beaver" is demonstrated through his willingness to learn from Attean, a Native American boy. Initially, Matt is naive and unprepared for survival, as seen when a stranger steals his gun and his failed attempt to gather honey. However, he gradually becomes more resourceful by imitating Attean's skills, such as making snares and learning to use a bow and arrow, showing his ability to adapt and survive in the wilderness.
This is an interesting question to consider, because actually this excellent novel seems to stress the way that Matt, at the beginning of this story at least, is not actually that resourceful at all to begin with. Sure, he can look after himself, but let us remember what happens at the beginning. He is rather naive in taking in a stranger who steels his gun which leaves him in a very vulnerable position. When he tries to get honey from the wild bees, his attempt ends in disaster. By far the most resourceful characters in the book are shown to be the Indians, who are able to live off of nature with ease and skill. Matt becomes very aware of how unprepared he is to live off of the land, and stands in awe at Attean's ability to do so. However, perhaps we can say that Matt shows his resourcefulness in the way that he is able to learn slowly from Attean. For example, consider his attempts to build a snare as Attean showed him:
After Attean had gone, Matt managed to make two more snared. They were clumsy things, and he was not too proud of them. Splitting a slippery root, he discovered, was not so easy as it had looked. He spoiled a number of them before he mastered the trick of splicing them together. They did nto slide as easily as the one Attean had made, but they seemed strong enough.
Matt therefore shows his resourcefulness in the way that he learns from Attean and seeks to imitate his lessons and skills, and by the end of the story, he has learned a lot from Attean, including how to shoot with a bow and arrow and be aware of the signs of nature.
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