Paulsen uses food as a motif throughout the novel to highlight changes in Brian after The Time and to show the reader a main component of life that is often taken for granted. Brian sees food differently because of The Time. He has experienced hunger in a way most people never have, “where you don’t think you’re ever going to eat again” (19). He recognizes that food means everything for survival, and that all of nature revolves around obtaining food. Brian appreciates food, but not only because he loves to eat. He appreciates the whole process of handling the food, cooking it, chewing it, and watching others eat it. During his run with Derek up the river, Brian goes several days without food and loses weight. He experiences extreme hunger but does not let that keep him from pushing forward to save Derek. Paulsen’s use of the food motif shows one major way that Brian changes based on his time in the woods, and also reminds the reader of the everyday things he or she takes for granted. 

The namesake of the novel, the river acts as a symbol of both nature’s power and beauty, and helps develop this contrast.