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Chapter 7
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Great Alone, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Trauma and Violence
Paranoia and the Vietnam War
Isolation
Family and Community
Death and Grief
Coming of Age
Summary
Analysis
Winter arrives in Alaska and before long, there is very little daylight. This puts stress on the Allbright family and Leni starts learning what it means to survive an Alaskan winter. One evening, after filling up the water barrel, Leni goes inside and sees her parents fighting. Cora has food from Marge and Ernt is angry because he knows they cannot pay for it. After a heated argument, Ernt angrily leaves the cabin. Leni and Cora both agree that the weather is making him worse.
Ernt’s behavior begins to move in a predictable cycle once winter arrives. First his pride is wounded and then he lashes out. Just like in the opening of the novel, the weather seems to severely impact Ernt’s mood and Alaskan winters are perhaps the most brutal weather in the country. As such, it would follow that Ernt, too, will become worse than he ever has been before.
Themes
Before long, snow has covered everything, and Leni’s everyday life quickly becomes focused purely on survival. Although she does go to school some days, the weather often makes the trek impossible. The bad weather puts the entire Allbright family on edge, though Leni and Cora do their best to placate Ernt. Ernt is regularly experiencing nightmares again and one night he strikes Cora because he wakes up and does not know where he is.
Normal life is put on hold in Alaska in favor of survival. Surviving such conditions would be difficult even in a normal household, but Leni and Cora must deal with the additional threat of Ernt. However, although Ernt becomes increasingly easy to criticize and dislike, he still remains a sympathetic character. His nightmares are suggestive of the extreme trauma he experienced during his time in war and the violence he commits in this section is well beyond his control.
Themes
One day, Ernt wakes Leni and Cora up early to go hunting. While on the trip, Ernt points out a hare and tells Leni to shoot it. Leni makes a clean shot and the Allbrights move to collect their prey. Ernt skins the rabbit, pulls out its entrails, and then orders Leni to eat its heart. Cora asks Ernt not to make Leni do such a thing, saying, “we’re not savages.” Ernt replies, “That’s exactly what we are,” and once again orders Leni to eat the heart. Leni hesitates, but ultimately complies with her father’s demand. Not long after this bizarre event, December arrives and Ernt’s condition continues to worsen. One night, he wakes Leni up and orders her to put together a rifle. He times Leni and makes her try again when she does not complete the task within his time limit.
Ernt’s behavior in this section of the book is increasingly erratic and primal. Once again, Cora and Leni have no say over what happens; Ernt dictates their lives on his terms and according to his rules. If the initial goal of moving to Alaska was to find a happier and simpler life, then Ernt’s comments about living like a savage demonstrate that he’s strayed far from the original goal. Though Cora and Leni continue to put up with Ernt, there is no indication that his behavior will improve and significant indications that it will worsen.
Themes
Later that December, the Allbright family is huddled inside on a particularly nasty day. Suddenly, Ernt’s radio picks up Marge’s voice. Someone is lost out in the bad weather, and they need volunteers to help find them. The Allbrights gear up and head into town, where they learn that Geneva and Matthew Walker are missing. An officer gives them flashlights and they begin looking for the missing Walkers. The search is incredibly stressful for Leni, who is worried about her friend. Eventually, Matthew is found near some ice, but his mother is nowhere to be seen. Matthew is frozen and shaking, but he manages to tell his rescuers that his mother is dead. She fell through the ice and could not make her way back out.
This is a climactic moment in the novel and one that will temporarily hinder Leni and Matthew’s already strained relationship. Like other characters in the novel, Matthew has experienced immense trauma, which will impact his character going forward. On a less dark note, this section of the story also demonstrates the willingness of the community to come together and help one another out. Even Ernt, who fancies the Walkers his enemies, is quick to help out.
Themes
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