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Brian’s father did not understand as Brian did, knew only that Brian’s mother wanted to break the marriage apart.
In Chapter 1, Brian sits in the plane and thinks about the Secret and whether he should tell his father about the affair. Brian’s father was blindsided by the divorce and does not have an apparent reason for why it happened. The language Brian uses is violent and implies his parents’ relationship seemed secure before the affair. By saying that his mother wanted to “break the marriage apart,” Brian gives the sense it was whole before her indiscretion, which may stem from the limited perspective of a child. At the end of the novel, Brian thinks about telling his dad the Secret, but ultimately decides not to bring it up.
It was so important to understand his father, to know what he was saying. He was trying to help, trying so hard, and when Brian couldn’t understand he looked cross, the way he did when Brian asked questions more than once, and he faded.
In Chapter 8, after a porcupine gets into his shelter and injures him, Brian realizes he needs a fire for warmth and protection. He does not know how to make one, but he dreams his dad and his friend Terry are trying to help him. Brian’s father seems to have high expectations of Brian. In his dream, Brian’s father tries desperately to help Brian understand how to start a fire. He clearly cares about helping his son, but when Brian does not understand, his father gets frustrated and disappears from the dream. This scene comes entirely from Brian’s sleeping mind, but Brian treats it as an accurate impression of his father in real life. Later, Brian mentally records his list of mistakes to share with his father if he’s ever rescued, rather than a list of his successes. Apparently, Brian worries about disappointing his father, even when he’s in survival mode.
