Through Black Spruce

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2008

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-12

Chapters 13-18

Chapters 19-24

Chapters 25-30

Chapters 31-34

Chapters 35-39

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Will’s Airplane

Will becomes a pilot even though it requires taking lessons from the white man. He has always enjoyed flying: “I wanted to be a pilot. I wanted to leave this place, this ground, this earth, and just soar” (42). His airplane represents his desire to escape. He uses flight as a form of escapism all his life, always running from some fear or uncertainty. His three plane crashes all symbolize a lesson learned during life: don’t ignore the weather, don’t feel overconfident in your abilities to beat the weather, and don’t leave family. After his third crash, essentially a failed suicide attempt, he turns from one form of escapism to another: alcohol.

He doesn’t return to his plane as a means of escape until years later, after shooting Marius. Even then, he notes, “Flying was second nature, a part of me” (169). He uses his plane to escape town and hide in the bush over the winter. When he loses his food and shelter to a polar bear attack and then struggles to combat the elements, he flies away right before a blizzard, again escaping to the safety of Moosonee.

Silence

Silence symbolizes peace, listening, and understanding throughout the novel. Indigenous culture is intertwined with nature, and the peace that comes from this communion is present in Annie and Will’s relationship with nature. Both seek comfort from the bush.

Not speaking is another major theme, from Will’s inability to talk in his coma to Gordon’s muteness. Annie wistfully thinks, “Some days I wish he could speak, but there’s something nice about having a friend who never talks back, who’s always forced to listen” (9). Will and Gordon’s silence comforts Annie and acts as a soundboard that helps her find her voice. She tells Will about her past year, unloading her fears and discomforts, which allows her to move on and accept herself. Gordon’s silence provides the same benefit.

The Rifle

The rifle is an enormous burden for Will and a symbol of his fear. Much of Will’s fear comes from not understanding the rifle. The rifle speaks to him, and this scares him: “‘Shut up, you!’ I found myself shouting. ‘You don’t shut up, I will throw you away.’ I imagined the rifle whimpering at my words like a punished dog” (214). The rifle whispers to Will, keeping him away at times and frightening him with its suggestions: “Son of Xavier, it said. Unwrap me. I have a story for you” (29). Will tries to give the rifle to the old man on the island, but he is wise enough not to take the gift. The old man knows that the rifle is meant only for Will. Will does end up using the rifle to conquer his fear of the polar bear and to shoot a moose, but he always has a healthy fear of the gun. He again gifts the rifle, this time to his brother Antoine, who uses it to kill Marius and save Will’s life. Even though the rifle protects Will, he continues to fear it.

The rifle is their father’s weapon from World War I. At one time it was owned by the government, and the government owns it again at the novel’s end. Antoine muses, “I don’t think they know what they have there. That gun, it will eventually start talking. And when it does, someone’s going to have to start listening” (355).

Alcohol

Alcohol was introduced to indigenous communities after contact with white colonizers. “Booze is the white man’s poison, not ours,” says Annie (53). This poison caused a lot of issues in communities struggling to find their identity in modern times. Indigenous communities are susceptible to alcoholism, and this shows in the narrative. Many of the characters use alcohol as a source of comfort or escapism. Will is particularly prone to intense cravings: “I didn’t buy any booze, thinking it was a good idea to have a night where no one drank. But both Joe and Gregor showed up at the door with a case of beer each. I’m seriously wanting to head to the fridge and grab one” (215). Even when Annie and Will know that they should abstain from the drink, they have a hard time resisting. This struggle is often apparent in Will’s thoughts: “Already the bottle in my pack called to me. Maybe I’d sneak sips soon. Some of my finest memories were of being half-drunk” (221). Though they often succumb to peer pressure or addiction, their repeated efforts to remain sober reveals awareness of their dependence.