Brian's Winter

Brian’s Winter is an example of a bildungsroman—a novel where a young character gradually becomes morally and psychologically educated. How does the setting of the Canadian wilderness contribute to the education Brian receives?

• What lessons about himself does Brian learn?
• What does Brian learn about what is the “right” or “best” way to live in the world?
• How does being outdoors, in the natural environment, play a role in Brian learning these things?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt asks students to make inferences about ideas that are not all explicitly stated in the text. For instance, the text might show Brian being resourceful but not directly state that Brian learns to take pride in his resourcefulness and sees that it is important to be able to dig deep and find a way to overcome obstacles instead of giving up. You might lead students through a discussion of a challenge Brian overcomes or something he observes about nature as a model of how to draw conclusions about the lessons Brian learns.

Once students understand how to make this kind of inference about the story and have compiled a list of some moral and psychological lessons Brian learns, they can use this list to reason out the connection between his growth and his environment.