The Skeleton Tree

Kaetil the Raven Hunter, the book Chris and Frank find in the cabin, takes on significance as scenes in the book play out in their lives. In the book, a raven uses green paste to heal someone just as Thursday uses a paste to heal Frank. In the book, the ravens lead packs of wolves on Kaetil’s behalf, while Thursday leads a pack of wolves to defend Chris. Like Kaetil, Chris has no father, and Thursday helps him throughout his time in the woods. Unlike Chris’s father, Thursday sacrifices himself for Chris. As Thursday’s final gift, the raven sacrifices its life to save Chris. Their strong bond compels Chris to face his greatest fear and climb the skeleton tree to bury Thursday with honor and reverence. The fictional novel the boys read tells a tale of revenge, but Chris’s story is one of acceptance. Because they don’t know how the novel ends, they can only write their own ending.

Vulnerability and openness finally resolve most of the conflict and tension between Frank and Chris. They can now work together and have even grown fond of one another. Frank doesn’t belittle or berate Chris when the rescue day passes, though they realize that without food or fire they’ll suffer. Chris understands the origins of Frank’s anger and can rationalize it rather than live in fear of it. Although they remain hurt by their father’s actions, they have a path forward that includes each other.

Throughout the novel, Frank was bitter and angry and had a negative outlook. However, when he cuts his hair days before the appointed rescue, Frank demonstrates that he believes in Chris’s vision and has hope. He’s now choosing a positive outlook, choosing to be hopeful, and choosing to ally himself with Chris. In making these choices and in cutting his hair in preparation for the rescue, Frank shows positive change and growth. Although the novel doesn’t reveal how the story ends for the boys, highlighting the theme of The Reality of Uncertainty as a theme, it conveys hope that Frank will become a man of integrity.

North American societal expectations of young men forced Frank and Chris to initially confront one another in a power struggle that kept them from working together to survive. Only by breaking apart that flawed expectation of manhood can Frank and Chris become their authentic selves and begin to build a relationship. Frank stops lying about his father, his family, and his upbringing, earning Chris’s friendship. Chris stops deferring to Frank as his survival skills improve and he gains confidence. As the boys grow and adapt, they learn to break down societal constructs that had them pitted against one another and prevented them from working together to survive in the wilderness. In the wild, far removed from society’s burden, Frank and Chris become themselves, forming a meaningful relationship and emerging as friends. This thematically emphasizes Mental Attitude and Survival by showing how a positive mindset is foundational to effectively using survival skills.