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The Sign Of The Beaver Essay

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What would you do if a tall, scowling, foreign speaking, half dressed man asked you to teach his grandson English? Matt encountered this very same problem in The Sign of the Beaver.
The story takes place in the year 1769, in a forest in Maine. Matt’s father was preparing to leave him alone in their newly built cabin, while he traveled to Massachusetts to retrieve the rest of his family. His father gave Matt plenty of advice, his rifle, and made sure he was stocked with food before he left. A stranger named Ben, who was hungry, knocked on Matt’s cabin door asking for supper. Matt fed Ben and in return Ben stole his rifle while he slept, leaving Matt without protection, or a way to hunt. Desperate, Matt tries to steal honey from a hive …show more content…

Attean’s grandfather was worried that his fellow tribe members were signing away their land because they could not read. He requested that Matt to help Attean learn to read English, so Attean could keep their hunting grounds. The method Matt used to teach Attean to read was by reciting letters and words in the book, Robinson Crusoe and the Bible. Matt also helped Attean learn to write at the same time by having Attean write the words he learned. Although Attean is not required to negotiate for his tribe, he develops a strong bond with …show more content…

Attean shared his knowledge about his religious virtues and his god, Gluskabe, with Matt. Matt shared stories from the Old Testament with Attean, while teaching him to read and write. They were both able to learn about the similarities and differences between their lifestyles and religions. Attean learned that white people aren’t murderers, but instead feared his own people as well. In return, Matt learned that the Beaver Indian tribe was not the savages he thought they

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