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Ernt Allbright
Matthew Walker is the son of Tom and Geneva Walker, as well as the brother of Alyeska Walker. At the age of 13, Matthew meets Leni Allbright, the only other person his age in Kaneq. Matthew and Leni form a fast friendship when they discover that they share a love of the same books, particularly The Lord of the Rings. Matthew is mature for his age and does not mind that Ernt hates his father. He tells Leni that they will remain friends no matter what. One night, while returning home, Geneva falls through ice and Matthew is unable to help her. As a result, Geneva dies and Matthew moves to Fairbanks, Alaska where he can lead a more normal life and see a therapist to help him with his grief. While in Fairbanks, Matthew lives with his sister and constantly writes letters to Leni. Several years later, Matthew returns to Kaneq and resumes living with his father. He also begins a secret relationship with Leni, knowing Ernt disapproves of him. Later, Matthew steps in and rescues Leni and Cora from Ernt during a particularly fierce bout of abuse. He punches Ernt in the face, sabotages his vehicle, and takes Leni to the mountains where Ernt cannot get to her. However, on the way down from the mountains, Leni falls into a ravine, and while trying to rescue her, Matthew badly hurts himself. For many years, Matthew is unable to speak, and he lives out the rest of his life partially paralyzed. For a long time, Matthew does not know who Leni is, although he knows that someone he once loved is missing. To help fill the void and express himself, Matthew takes up painting. Eventually, Leni returns and tells Matthew why she had to leave. Leni introduces Matthew to his son and together the three of them start the family they always wanted. Matthew continues to live out his life in Alaska and eventually has two other children with Leni: Kenai and Cora.
Matthew Walker Quotes in The Great Alone
The The Great Alone quotes below are all either spoken by Matthew Walker or refer to Matthew Walker. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
“This is Alaska. We live and let live. I don’t care if your dad hates my dad. You’re the one who matters, Leni.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
Leni didn’t want to think about a loss like that, the bone-breaking magnitude of it, but at a time like this there was no looking away, and when she did look it in the face, without blinking or turning away, she knew this: if she were Matthew, she would need a friend right now. Who knew how the friend could help, whether offering silent companionship or a clatter of words was better? That, the how, she would have to figure out on her own. But the what—friendship—that she knew for sure.
Chapter 19
Quotes
“If he loved you guys, he wouldn’t hurt you.”
He made it sound so simple, as if it were a mathematical equation. But the connection between pain and love wasn’t linear. It was a web.
Chapter 21
Quotes
Mostly he was afraid for Leni, because no matter how this all worked out, no matter if she did everything perfectly and got away and saved her mom, Leni’s heart would always have a broken place. It didn’t matter how you lost a parent or how great or shitty that parent was, a kid grieved forever. Matthew grieved for the mother he’d had. He figured Leni would grieve for the dad she wanted.
Chapter 22
Quotes
Leni felt something then, a seismic shift in her thinking; like spring breakup, a changing of the landscape, a breaking away that was violent, immediate. She wasn’t afraid of this man anymore. Or if she was, the fear was submerged too deeply to register. All she felt was hatred.
Chapter 23
Quotes
In the silence, Leni wondered if one person could ever really save another, or if it was the kind of thing you had to do for yourself.
Chapter 24
Quotes
Matthew’s eyes opened. One stared straight ahead. The other rolled wildly in the socket. That one staring green eye was the only part of him she recognized. He struggled, made a terrible moaning sound of pain.
He opened his mouth, screamed, “Bwaaaa…” He thrashed, bucked up like he was trying to break free. The halo made a clanging sound when it hit the bedrail. Blood started to form at the bolts in his temple. An alarm went off. “Hermmmm…”
Chapter 26
Quotes
I guess my mama was right about love. As screwed up as she is, she understands the durability and lunacy of it. You can’t make yourself fall in love, I suppose, and you can’t make yourself fall out of it.
Chapter 31
Quotes
“You know what I love most about you, Leni Allbright?”
“What?”
“Everything.”
Get the entire The Great Alone LitChart as a printable PDF.
Matthew Walker Quotes in The Great Alone
The The Great Alone quotes below are all either spoken by Matthew Walker or refer to Matthew Walker. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
“This is Alaska. We live and let live. I don’t care if your dad hates my dad. You’re the one who matters, Leni.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
Leni didn’t want to think about a loss like that, the bone-breaking magnitude of it, but at a time like this there was no looking away, and when she did look it in the face, without blinking or turning away, she knew this: if she were Matthew, she would need a friend right now. Who knew how the friend could help, whether offering silent companionship or a clatter of words was better? That, the how, she would have to figure out on her own. But the what—friendship—that she knew for sure.
Chapter 19
Quotes
“If he loved you guys, he wouldn’t hurt you.”
He made it sound so simple, as if it were a mathematical equation. But the connection between pain and love wasn’t linear. It was a web.
Chapter 21
Quotes
Mostly he was afraid for Leni, because no matter how this all worked out, no matter if she did everything perfectly and got away and saved her mom, Leni’s heart would always have a broken place. It didn’t matter how you lost a parent or how great or shitty that parent was, a kid grieved forever. Matthew grieved for the mother he’d had. He figured Leni would grieve for the dad she wanted.
Chapter 22
Quotes
Leni felt something then, a seismic shift in her thinking; like spring breakup, a changing of the landscape, a breaking away that was violent, immediate. She wasn’t afraid of this man anymore. Or if she was, the fear was submerged too deeply to register. All she felt was hatred.
Chapter 23
Quotes
In the silence, Leni wondered if one person could ever really save another, or if it was the kind of thing you had to do for yourself.
Chapter 24
Quotes
Matthew’s eyes opened. One stared straight ahead. The other rolled wildly in the socket. That one staring green eye was the only part of him she recognized. He struggled, made a terrible moaning sound of pain.
He opened his mouth, screamed, “Bwaaaa…” He thrashed, bucked up like he was trying to break free. The halo made a clanging sound when it hit the bedrail. Blood started to form at the bolts in his temple. An alarm went off. “Hermmmm…”
Chapter 26
Quotes
I guess my mama was right about love. As screwed up as she is, she understands the durability and lunacy of it. You can’t make yourself fall in love, I suppose, and you can’t make yourself fall out of it.
Chapter 31
Quotes
“You know what I love most about you, Leni Allbright?”
“What?”
“Everything.”
