The Explorer

“The fire called back in response; a tree behind him sent up a fountain of flames. There was a rumble of thunder. Nothing else replied.”

Rundell uses personification to convey the children’s experience of the rainforest as a single immense and often frightening organism. This moment carries significant tension, confusion, and suspense, as Fred has no idea where he is or if anyone else is alive.

“The three smaller trees did not have roots. They were logs, twenty feet high, each carefully leaned against the central tree; he could see where they had been hacked, with an ax or a machete. Ferns had grown—or been planted, Fred thought—at their base, disguising the place where the cut showed.”

Vivid, detailed descriptions illuminate the setting and provide a clear, undisturbed picture of what the world looks like to Fred. These details lead the reader to come to the same conclusions as the story’s protagonist and reveal the logic behind his suspicion. This moment also foreshadows the eventual meeting with the explorer.

“Something in Fred was beginning to glow: under the sun, and the cry of the birds, and the expanse of vivid green around them. It was huge, and dizzying.

It felt like hope.

Either that, he thought, or concussion.”

Fred’s attitude begins to shift from fear to excitement and eagerness to explore. Nature’s beauty overwhelms and inspires him, igniting a passion for exploration that was previously dormant within him. Dark humor points to what may or may not be a serious injury in Fred; thankfully, he turns out to be largely unharmed by the crash.