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Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Gabe is the protagonist and narrator of the story. He is incredibly brave and optimistic. The story begins with Gabe moving to the Northwest Territories to be closer to his dad, who works on an oil rig. Gabe had been living with his grandparents in Texas but chose to be closer to his dad and wanted to move to the northern part of Canada. When Gabe meets Raymond for the first time, he is surprised by how different they look and is slightly offended that Raymond would be so discouraging of Gabe moving to the Northwest Territories. Gabe is hopeful that he will like it there and loves spending time with his father once a month. Gabe observes that Raymond is not thriving at school and seems depressed. He tries his best to help Raymond feel better because Gabe is empathetic.
When Gabe’s survival journey begins, Gabe’s ability to have hope is a true asset to himself and Raymond. Gabe never complains and always looks at their troubles through an optimistic lens. He purposefully chooses not to think about what could go wrong, but instead uses his energy to think of solutions to their problems. Although these solutions don’t always lead to better things (like when they raft down the Nahanni and Johnny almost freezes to
