This is a story about a boy named Brian who
is flying from New York to Canada to spend
time with his father.
However, during the flight, the pilot of the
small aircraft dies of a heart attack and
Brian is forced to land the plane.
Fortunately, Brian survives the plane crash,
but suffers several injuries.
He builds a shelter and gathers supplies,
but really doesn't know what he is doing.
After his wounds heal, Brian begins to learn
and adapt to his new environment.
He starts to recognize what's edible and even
starts a fire.
Just when things begin to look good for Brian,
bad luck strikes and he is attacked by a moose
and a tornado wipes out his camp.
In the aftermath of the tornado, however,
the tail of his plane surfaces in the nearby
lake.
He swims to the plane and retrieves a survival
pack.
Among the supplies is an emergency transmitter.
In the end, Brian is rescued and discovers
a newfound respect for nature.
Readers understand early on that Brian is
very vulnerable in the wild.
He is consistently slowed by his injuries
and inability to do much for himself.
A lot of what he thinks he knows about survival
often comes from popular culture, like TV
shows and movies.
However, Brian begins to learn about his environment
and matures his survival instinct.
He first recognizes his disadvantage in nature
when he begins collecting food and wood.
He understands that he must gather enough
food and wood not just for the present, but
also for the future in case he ever were to
get hurt or injured.
And it's from this foresight and progressive
thinking that Brian demonstrates his understanding
of survival.
One of the great realizations that Brian has
in the wild is that everything in nature is
constantly trying to eat.
This realization pushes Brian to create innovative
solutions to gather food, whether it be weapons
for hunting or a fish farm.
And as Brian begins to reinvent technology
to harvest food around him, readers also recognize
that his tastes change.
At first, Brian is content with eating berries.
Later, however, he craves fish, bird, and
bigger game.
The conclusion of the story includes two rescues
for Brian.
The first is his physical rescue from the
wilderness, but the second rescue is from
the bitterness and disdain towards his mother.
After Brian discovers that his mother's affair
led to his parents' divorce, he strongly holds
it against her.
However, through surviving life-threatening
situations, Brian puts his family drama in
perspective.
He never forgets his mother's actions, but
at least he can let go.
