Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Sign of the Beaver, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Survival and Indigenous Knowledge
Colonialism, Land Rights, and Entitlement
Nature
Friendship and Respect
Coming of Age and Manhood
Summary
Analysis
It’s late afternoon now, and Matt is sitting and worrying about his father. Why isn’t he back yet? After the near miss with the bear, Matt now realizes how dangerous the forest is and questions his father’s or mother’s ability to navigate it. A stranger interrupts Matt’s thoughts when the stranger steps into the clearing—but the person isn’t a stranger. It’s Attean, wearing paint on his face and a necklace of new bear claws. Matt asks what the “war paint” is for, but Attean says this isn’t war paint. Rather, his tribe is having a feast with the bear meat, and Saknis has invited Matt. Stunned, Matt accepts. Attean jokes that Matt should check that he closed the cabin door to keep bears out.
Matt questions his parents’ ability to navigate the forest because unlike him, they haven’t had a guide like Attean to show them how to read the forest’s signs and stay safe. This shows Matt acknowledging that he and other settlers don’t know as much about the land as its original stewards. However, Matt continues to cling to his preconceived notions about Native people. It’s unthinkable to him that face paint is for anything but war, and he finds the whole custom of painting one’s face so foreign that Attean seems like a total stranger due to his paint.
Themes
Attean leads Matt for an hour through the darkening woods. At a river, they climb into a canoe and cross the river, and then Attean leads Matt to a solid wood wall. Coming through the gate, Matt sees cabins and wigwams around the edge of the circular enclosure. A fire burns in the middle, while stew simmers in three iron pots. Matt then notices the other Native Americans. Though they wear a mix of European and Native garments, everyone is clearly dressed up—lots of people wear jewelry, and some women wear bright skirts. Matt is ashamed of how shabby he must look, though he has nothing else to wear.
Matt doesn’t necessarily pick up on it, but the impact of European colonialism is evident in the Native village. This shows up in the cabins and in some people’s European clothing choices. Note that Matt doesn’t make any value judgments about this; his tone is pretty even and just conveys what he sees. This suggests that for now, at least, he’s open to learning and respects his hosts.
Themes
The men are all seated on either side of the fire, and they all seem to be waiting. Finally, Saknis rises. He’s dressed in fine beaded and feathered clothes and looks proud—like a king. He loudly says that Matt is welcome, and after this, the silence ends. Children race to Matt to touch him while adults laugh and talk. Attean leads Matt to sit on a log, and a woman offers Matt something to drink. Then, Saknis stands and gestures to Attean. Attean tells the story of how he and Matt took on the bear earlier this morning, and his lively gestures mean that Matt doesn’t need to know the language to follow along. Though some people seem to laugh at Matt when Attean describes Matt throwing the rabbit at the bear, the laughter is friendly, and Matt doesn’t mind it.
Matt has previously picked up on the fact that Saknis is powerful in his tribe, but here he begins to think of Saknis as being like a king. This framing is important, as it suggests that Matt doesn’t necessarily see Saknis as genuinely powerful or in charge—that is, Saknis is like a king, rather than he is a king. Still, Matt has a good time at the celebration and is even happy to have some fun poked at him. That Attean goes to such lengths to tell a compelling story suggests that while his culture may frown on killing a mother bear, they still see the value in a good, exciting story.
Themes
When the story is over, the Native Americans stand up and form a line. The man in front beats a rattle against his hand and dances with “ridiculous contortions, for all the world like a clown in a village fair,” and the rest of the line follows his lead. Attean urges Matt to join the dancing and drags him into the line. After a few minutes, Matt gets the hang of the steps. His initial feelings of dread turn into excitement and joy, and he feels like “one of them.”
Matt’s description of the man with the rattle highlights his narrowmindedness and his bigotry. This dance is no doubt a normal, important part of Attean’s culture—but because it’s new and seems strange to Matt, he uses language that denigrates and disrespects the man and the dance. However, that doesn’t stop Matt from joining in and finding the fun in the dance, suggesting there may be room for him to revisit his previous beliefs.
Themes
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When the dance ends, the feast begins. A woman brings Matt a bowl of delicious stew. Attean isn’t eating, and he proudly explains to Matt that this is because he killed the bear. By the time Matt is done eating, he’s exhausted—though the party is still in full swing, and Matt wonders how he ever could’ve thought Native Americans were “dull.” Attean leads Matt into a wigwam, where Matt gratefully falls asleep.
Matt is beginning to rethink his beliefs about Native Americans, which he likely formed based on stories he heard and not actually on any firsthand experience with Native peoples. Now, he realizes that while their celebrations may include different elements than Matt is used to, they’re still people who like to laugh, dance, and eat like anyone else.
Themes
