Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses the source text’s use of outdated and offensive terms to discuss Indigenous cultures and its portrayal of colonial stereotypes of Indigenous people.

The novel portrays the fear of the unknown as a barrier to exploration and connection. Characters are either aligned or at odds with each other based on their different interactions and reactions to their environment, the people around them, and their personal growth. Maia’s boarding school classmates, teachers, and the Carter family all represent a fear-dominated perspective that keeps them isolated and static. The girls at her school are portrayed as fearful and childish and remain unchanged throughout the story. For example, they become anxious at Maia’s departure, and in this scene, Maia’s brave willingness to face the unknown gives her a stance of maturity by comparison. When she returns to the school after her adventures, Maia has grown, but the school and its pupils remain the same. Maia humorously reflects that the geography teacher is probably teaching the same lesson as when she left. When she shares her story, the other girls are unable to “take it in” (186) and therefore miss out on the rich experiences that have transformed Maia.