Big Red

The legendary bear, Old Majesty, is symbolic of power. The bear is also a narrative device used to create tension throughout the novel. The bear has stalked the Wintapi wilderness for many years, and everyone in the surrounding region knows to fear him. Therefore, Old Majesty has power over the other characters’ emotions and behaviors. Old Majesty knows that if he moves through the woods and clearings at night, he can best his human enemies. He knows to use the darkness to his advantage, and thus to overpower the men who try to kill him.

The third-person narrator shifts into Old Majesty’s consciousness in Chapter 11. This grants access to Old Majesty’s thoughts and feelings. Old Majesty sees himself as the king of the forest, which deepens his symbolic significance. Danny recognizes this about the bear after he shoots him and sees his fallen body.

Danny gains power and authority once he conquers Old Majesty in Chapter 12. Facing the bear is Danny’s rite of passage into adulthood. When he succeeds in his mission, he becomes a different person and assumes metaphorical dominance within his personal sphere. 

The Wintapi wilderness is a symbol of the natural world, reflecting the theme of Respecting and Understanding Nature. The narrator depicts the region with vivid detail and exacting language throughout the novel. Such descriptive passages grant the wilderness as much credence as Danny’s storyline and conflicts. The Wintapi wilderness also mirrors Danny’s gradual coming of age. Changes in the woods, skies, and trees, for example, parallel Danny’s emotional and psychological evolutions over the course of the novel.

The seasons form an important motif in the novel, representing growth and change in both nature and within a human lifespan. The changing of the seasons embodies Danny’s Coming of Age and Personal Growth, as he undergoes challenges which culminate in his maturation and triumph in the spring, with the budding flowers and new life in the form of Sheilah’s puppies reflecting the new hopes and dreams Danny has for his future. The changing seasons thus mirror the different stages of Danny’s development from an adolescent into a confident young man.

New York is symbolic of newness and transformation. Danny travels to the city when Mr. Haggin invites him to Red’s dog show. This is Danny’s first adventure away from the Wintapi, the cabin, and his father. New York awes and terrifies Danny because it’s busy, noisy, and overwhelming, and contrasts sharply with the sounds and sights of his wilderness home. However, the urban environment ultimately grants Danny perspective on his life and circumstances. His trip here foreshadows his character transformation at the novel’s end.