woods runner[2]
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Presented by:Jonathan Swift
Woods Runner
Written by:Gary Paulsen
THE SUMMARY The British kill Samuel’s neighbors and take
his parents prisoner. Meets Annie, a war orphan. Samuel and Annie meet Abner McDaniel. He
takes them to New York. Rescues his parents. Return home to Philadelphia with adopted daughter Annie.
MAIN CHARACTER SAMUEL
13 years old Likes to hunt in woods to feed his family Has great survival skills Is very courageous & brave Does not like to kill but twice does so to survive The story is about him growing up
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Abner: Old Italian tinker that sharpens knives Secretly spying against the British Took Samuel and Annie to New York
Annie: 8 years old War orphan Adopted by Samuel’s parents
THE SETTING – 1776
Pennsylvania: Frontier settlement away from tow Many trees, forests Lots of wildlife
New York: Where British held prisoners Many diseases Largest city in the colonies
THE CLIMAX Samuel and Abner went to rescue
Samuel’s parents Samuel hit a guard with a brick and
knocked him out The prisoners streamed out of the jail With Samuel’s mom and dad they crossed
the Hudson
THE RESOLUTION
Samuel has an encounter with the British and kills a man
Family won’t return to the frontier The family goes to Philadelphia with
adopted daughter, Annie Start a school for orphan children
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
Gary Paulson wanted to show how brutal the Revolutionary war actually was
Over 4,000 men died in combat Many children became war orphans Most of the men died from disease
approximately 50,000 Most of the soldiers were young and untrained