How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
If only it were not so quiet. (1.3)
Being alone in and of itself isn't so rotten, but the silence… oh, the silence… it can drive anyone bonkers after a while.
Quote #2
"You may lose track of the weeks," he had added. "Easy thing to do when you're alone." (1.7)
Matt thinks his dad is ridiculous for saying this, but later finds out he was right on. Days just kind of blend together sometimes.
Quote #3
He just didn't like the feeling he had sometimes of someone watching him. He couldn't prove it. […] But he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was there. (1.6)
Even when Matt enjoys being alone, he has this creepy feeling sometimes that he's being watched. And later on, of course, he finds out that people have been watching him. Do you think Saknis would have come out of his hiding place if Matt hadn't been hurt?
Quote #4
He would have liked, however, to have someone to talk to occasionally. He hadn't reckoned on missing that. (2.10)
Strange that we often don't realize how important something is until it's gone. Matt thought he was a loner before, but now not so much.
Quote #5
Matt was puzzled by his own unwillingness to answer. He ought to be glad to see anyone after all these days alone, but somehow he wasn't. He didn't quite know why he found himself lying. (3.15)
Weird, huh? He finally meets someone, but Ben must give off some kind of creepy sensation. Ever meet someone like that? Matt should have followed his own intuition and kept himself safe with the rifle.
Quote #6
So often Attean made him feel uncomfortable and ridiculous. But he had to admit that on the days when Attean did not come the hours went by slowly. (11.2)
Hey there, irony. On the one hand Attean drives Matt nuts, but on the other hand he can't get enough of the company. Poor Matt.
Quote #7
The fact was, Matt was a little jealous of Attean. A dog would be mighty fine company here in the woods, no matter how scrawny it looked. (11.19)
Some people scoff at the whole man's-best-friend thing, but there really is something to it, at least for Matt. Just having someone/thing as a companion makes a huge difference.
Quote #8
Suppose his father had met with a bear? Suppose he had never got back to Quincy? How would his mother know where to find this place, or even where to send anyone to look for him? Matt hugged his arms around his chest. But the cold was inside. It would not go away. (16.2)
This is the underlying fear that Matt often hides. He's not so much scared of being alone as he is of being alone without his family and without ever knowing what happened to them. That's his real fear.
Quote #9
Matt's heart slowed its pounding. There was nothing to fear in this place, but after the weeks of stillness in his cabin the noise was confusing. (16.18)
Ever watched a movie after a camping trip? Or gone to a family reunion after studying for a big test? Going from quiet to noisy can be a bit overwhelming at first.
Quote #10
He had passed some sort of test. Not by any means with flying colors; he had plenty of bruises to remind him of that. But at least he had not disgraced Attean. He felt satisfied. And for the first time since his father had left him, he did not feel alone in the forest. (19.26)
Interesting that Matt mentions this moment as the first time he didn't feel alone—remember that he and Attean have been friends for weeks at this point. But this is where Matt finally feels accepted. Hmm… so his loneliness wasn't just about needing people, it was about needing a place to belong. After an afternoon chillin' with the Beaver boys, Matt finally feels accepted.