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
Matt can’t stop thinking about the “bee tree,” a tree that he and his father found on the edge of a pond where some bees are nesting in a woodpecker hole. Matt’s father told Matt to leave them alone, but Matt craves something sweet (his mother knows he loves sweets, which is why she sent Matt with the keg of molasses). Deciding it’s worth it to get stung if he can taste some honey, Matt plans to climb the tree and take a cupful of honey. The tree is easy to climb, and the bees don’t seem to care when he reaches their hole. However, when Matt breaks off some wood to make the hole bigger, the bees attack. They sting him everywhere they can.
Again, Matt reads like a stereotypical kid here who’s desperate for something sweet. This leads him to overestimate his own abilities and underestimate how dangerous the natural world can be—bees aren’t exactly eager to give up their honey, which is why beekeepers use smoke and wear protective gear when working with their hives.
Themes
In a panic, Matt somehow gets down from the tree and races for the pond, shouting. He loses a boot in the mud and trips over roots, but he throws himself into the water. Matt comes up for air twice, but the bees are still there, circling. He can’t swim out farther because his legs are tangled in weeds, and when he tries to pull free, his leg feels like it’s on fire. Then, suddenly, someone lifts him, and strong arms carry him. Matt thinks it’s his father, though he knows this can’t be. The person puts Matt down and through his swollen eyelids, Matt sees that it’s two Native Americans—a man and a boy.
In this moment of panic, Matt discovers just how dangerous and powerful nature is. It’s not just the animate bees that attack him; the water, the roots, and the weeds seem to conspire to injure Matt more. That a stranger saves Matt suggests that Matt hasn’t been as alone in the woods as he thought, while Matt’s feeling that this person is his father (or is like his father) creates the initial impression that this man is safe and caring.
Themes
The man (later revealed to be Saknis) reaches for Matt’s throat, causing Matt to panic. But the man explains that he must get the bee stingers out, as they have poison in them. To Matt’s surprise, the man’s hands are gentle, and Matt’s panic slowly disappears. Still, Matt can’t think clearly. He can’t say anything when the man lifts him like a baby and carries him to the cabin, settling Matt in his own bed. A while later, the man returns with some bitter medicine that he helps Matt drink. Matt then falls asleep.
Though the man’s choice to save Matt suggests he’s kind, Matt still doesn’t trust the man due to his being Native American. Matt hasn’t really had any experience with Native people before, and without any prior experience, he falls back on his fears that Native Americans are dangerous. This man clearly isn’t, however, highlighting that Matt’s fears are unfounded—and are prejudiced.
Themes
