The Sign of the Beaver

Early on, Matt loses his rifle to fellow colonist Ben, and envies Attean’s hunting bow. Attean shows Matt how to construct a bow and arrows, which he uses to hunt for the rest of the novel. This greatly increases his food stock and helps him survive the winter. The loss of the rifle represents Matt’s separation from his own culture, and his bow and arrows symbolize his growing connection to the neighboring Beaver clan.

The cabin is central to Matt’s life. He and his father built it during the spring, and Matt is tasked with guarding it until the latter returns with the rest of the family. Though unfinished, the cabin has a fireplace and minimal furniture. Matt watches over the place, but loses his father’s rifle to a thief, and his food gets ransacked by a bear.

The cabin symbolizes both Matt’s family and his ongoing struggle to survive in the wilderness. He refuses to abandon the cabin even when Saknis invites him to join the Penobscot people—even if his own family is months late and may never show up. This decision highlights Matt’s courage and loyalty. When the rest of the Hallowells finally arrive, the cabin anchors the plot’s resolution: Matt waited for them, and their reunion sees to the end of his duty.

Matt’s father owns a pocket watch that has been passed down from father to son, and he gives it to Matt as a token, along with his rifle, of his faith in him. Months later, before Saknis and Attean leave for their winter camp, they give Matt snowshoes, food, and Attean’s dog Aremus for company. These gifts, designed in part to help Matt survive the winter, mean a great deal to him—but the only thing of value he has to give in return is the pocket watch. He knows it’ll be difficult to explain the loss to his father, but it’s a price he is willing to pay for the Beaver clan’s generosity.

In 1760s Maine, the rifle was colonists’ go-to weapon for defending their homes and hunting for food. Matt’s father gives his rifle to his son, a sign of the man’s confidence in the boy. Wielding the gun is a big responsibility, but Matt loses it to fellow colonist Ben. Though fault lies with the thief, Matt’s failure to protect the expensive and vital weapon haunts him. Matt recovers some of his self-respect when Attean shows him how to construct and use a bow and arrows for hunting. Thus, the lost rifle serves as a reminder to Matt that life can be unforgiving, and that he must be careful if he is to survive.

Crucial to the tentative bond between Matt and Attean is the time they spend reading Robinson Crusoe, a 1719 adventure novel by Daniel Defoe about a marooned European man and a Caribbean man he rescues, Friday, from captors. Widely considered the first English novel, Robinson Crusoe is one of the most popular books in history, spawning its own literary form—"Robinsonade,” or castaway stories.

In order to keep Attean’s attention during their lessons, Matt only reads the exciting parts of Robinson Crusoe (while avoiding the novel’s questionable depiction of character Friday, as he has come to understand him as a stereotype). Attean retells these stories to his village, forming greater understanding between the two boys who then head off on their own adventures.

Signs of many sorts appear throughout the novel. Most important are the signs of the beaver, marks carved into tree trunks that warn other clans to stay away from Saknis’s village—the Beaver clan.

Saknis wants Matt to “teach Attean white man’s signs” so he can accurately read colonist treaties once he becomes the Beaver clan’s leader (30-31). In order to teach Attean English, Matt reads aloud stories, including much of the novel Robinson Crusoe, which describes a marooned European man and a Caribbean man he rescues. Thus, the novel’s words are “signs” which point toward friendship.

Another type of sign in the novel are trail markings—such as rock cairns, broken branches, and tree markings—that show distinct paths through the forest. These signs are personal, lest others decipher the sign maker’s signs, follow them to resources, and steal from them.

Each sign type must be learned, as failing to understand signs means misreading their makers. Attean must learn English to understand colonists’ intentions toward his people; Matt must learn clan signs so he doesn’t accidentally hunt on forbidden land. Thus, signs link allies and act as a barrier to outsiders.