Sign Of The Beaver Sparknotes

A Worthwhile Deed
In the book, Sign of the Beaver, a young boy like Matt is left alone to take care of his family’s cabin for a little while. During this time, Matt meats the Indians, the only other people near his home. After spending some time with him, Matt befriends an Indian boy named Attean. One day while wondering alone in the forest, Matt found Attean’s dog caught by the hind leg in a nasty steel trap. The dog growled and snapped at Matt, but Matt felt pity on him anyway. Matt made the compassionate and correct decision when he endeavored to aid the dog in his escape. The dog needed his help, the feat helped their relationship, and afterwards, the tribe welcomed the dog’s savior.
Ensnared and helpless, there was no way for the dog to escape on his own, he needed Matt’s help. While bounding carelessly through the forest, Attean’s dog managed to trigger a trap and catch his scrawny hind leg in its clutches. Gnawing his own leg of presented itself as the only chance of escape for the dog, unless help found him. As time passed the

jagged iron teeth bit at the helpless dog’s leg inflicting excruciating pain upon him. Mixed with the torture of attempting to chew his own leg off, the pain experienced by the dog increased by the minute. Finally, Matt stumbled upon the hidden beast, and despite the dog’s dislike of Matt, no other hope came. Matt was the only one who knew where the dog was trapped and therefore was the only one able to help. Matt fetched help from Attean’s sister, Marie, and despite the dog’s anger and distrust, Matt and Marie freed him.
Matt’s feat notably improved the relationship between Matt and Attean’s dog. Before that day, the dog acted warily and cautiously around Matt, not wanting to trust the strange boy. However, after Matt proved himself not a threat and rescued the dog from the clutches of death, the dog rewarded him with his unbreaking trust. Not only had the dog not trusted him before, he did not like him either. Whenever Attean brought the dog with him, he kept his distance from Matt, and greeted him with growls. Over time after his rescue the dog became accustomed to Matt and even began to like him. Matt felt the same way in the beginning, dreading the days Attean brought his ugly pet with him, but just as the dog grew to like Matt, Matt found himself growing to like the dog.
Because of his heroic accomplishment, the tribe welcomed Matt, the dog’s savoir.

As a white boy Matt found it hard to feel accepted around the Indians, especially Attean’s grandmother. Tragedy fell upon Attean’s family when a white man killed both his parents. Since that day, Attean’s grandmother resented white people and though them all dangerous. By running hours and using all his strength to save what seemed a truly worthless dog, Matt earned the respect of the wise lady. Along with earning her respect, Matt also proved himself capable to the Indians. He showed them that he was capable and strong and could live among them and be trusted. In return for one dog’s life, Matt gained a family. Invited afterward to the village on multiple occasions to live among them, the Indians grew to love Matt, and Matt them. The Indians strove to provide for him and take care of him no matter what. Matt truly became a part of the beaver

tribe.
Matt obviously made the wise decision when he decided to help Attean’s beloved dog. The dog needed his help, the feat helped their relationship, and the tribe welcomed him. The task that at first seemed of no benefit to Matt, reward him with the great riches of trust, and family. Happily, that dog became Matt’s life-long friend and companion, and the tribe from which he came made Matt one of their own. By putting another’s needs before his own, Matt found trust, love, and family.