Coming of Age Theme Analysis

The Great Alone tracks the maturation of a young girl in extraordinary circumstances. From the age of 13, Leni is asked to participate in an extreme lifestyle. Much of Alaskan life is spent preparing for the future and those who do not prepare end up dead. Among other things, Leni learns to hunt, fish, and garden. These activities are not merely hobbies, but rather necessary means of staying alive. In addition to learning to live in Alaska, Leni has a stressful and dangerous domestic situation. At almost all times, Leni is forced to bend to her father’s demands; failure to comply leads to the physical abuse of her mother. Leni regularly worries that her actions will bring about her death or Cora’s. While surviving Alaska and her father, Leni also goes through the normal phases of teenage life; she experiences puberty, meets a boy, and falls in love. Unfortunately, that boy is Matthew Walker, the son of Ernt’s sworn enemy. Therefore, once again, extra stress is put on Leni, who must hide her love from the world. Nonetheless, Leni overcomes every hurdle that is put in her way; she saves her mother’s life, escapes her father, and eventually reunites with the love of her life. Though Leni begins the novel as a young girl who is reliant on her parents, by the end she is a self-supporting adult. However, Leni’s maturation does not embody the spirit of rugged individualism that is often associated with Alaskan life and that she associates with her father. Instead, she learns to be a strong, intelligent individual who can still accept help from others when necessary. She allows herself to become a part of the Kaneq community and casts off the isolationist mentality of her father. Despite the extreme circumstances she suffers through, a mature Leni finds happiness in Kaneq in a way Ernt never could.