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Joshua Boyle, 20114064 Lost in the Barrens Farley Mowat's Lost in the Barrens is a prime example of a piece of children's literature that helps to advance the plot, and more importantly, convey a dual sense of both an antagonist against the boys' struggle, and a benefactor, through portraying the local environment as a sentient force in the book. The land is seen not as an environment in which the boys are placed, so much as an enigmatic character in the story, whose allegiance and intentions are difficult to surmise. The boys originally contest the land and try to overcome it, but gradually become aware of the need to co-exist and respect the land, to eventually return home. Primarily seen as an antagonist to the boys' attempts to survive and return home, the land is harshly termed, evoking images of a domineering, relentless enemy. “The loneliness and immensity of the new wilderness seemed to close down upon them" (Mowat, 28), the boys are overwhelmed by this awesome new force which till now has never had such a direct impact on their lives, even without doing anything, merely its presence over the boys, is enough to induce a sense of unfriendliness. The barrenlands encompass long stretches of seemingly endless abysses, a vivid backdrop to set two inexperienced boys against, to demonstrate the lesson of the text.
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