As the novel opens, Cort is struggling to come to terms with the loss of the stable family he enjoyed as a child. He initially views his parents’ separation as a loss, but his perspective changes by the end of the novel. When his mother moves into town, Cort believes that this means she is out of his life. To process this loss, he becomes angry with her, even claiming that he does not want to see her again. Although he still lives with his father, he experiences both physical and emotional loss with him: His father is either absent, trying to win Cort’s mother back, or distracted by thinking about her. Cort’s close relationship with his father is dissolving.

Because of this disconnect, Cort also loses his relationship to the swamp: What was once a familiar place in which he shared many happy experiences with his father now becomes a place he resents. This becomes most apparent when Cort must survive in the swamp and comes to realize how dangerous it is, losing the childlike innocence of his previous understanding. Adding to this is the fear of losing

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