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Chapter 13
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hunting by Stars, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Community and Identity
Resistance, Survival, and Hope
Dehumanization and Trauma
Language, Memory, and Legacy
Colonial Dominance vs. Healing with Nature
Summary
Analysis
Father Carole arrives at the resistance camp. Miig can tell from the man’s posture that he bears bad news. Bullet, Jean, and Miig escort Father Carole to Jean’s quarters in the communal cave. Carole says Frenchie was on the records at Sir John A. MacDonald but has been removed, meaning he is either dead or has converted to work for the schools. Believing Frenchie would never convert, Miig takes this as confirmation that he is dead. Seeing the rest of the family waiting for news outside the cave, Miig breaks down. Not ready to talk, he asks for a story. The twins, Tree and Zheegwon, offer their coming-to story (the story of how they got here) for the first time.
Miig’s perception of Frenchie’s character is correct—Frenchie would rather die than betray his family and his own identity. But his conviction fails to take into account what deceptions Frenchie might be willing to try in order to escape and survive. This is a rare moment in which Miig’s usually resilient hope falters. Miig turns to story for comfort, demonstrating how personal memories shared communally can remind people of what is important and revive their hope for survival.
Themes
