‘The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge’

One of the dumb jokes I often tell in class is that when I grow up, I want to be a mountain man, but if that doesn’t work out, being a pirate would be fun too. You can imagine my surprise and excitement when I discovered a man who had been both. I have always said that Jedediah Smith was my favorite mountain man, but after reading “The Revenant,” Hugh Glass may give Smith a run for his money.

As part of my mountain man class this semester, I assigned “The Revenant” by Michael Punke.

While the book differs from the other works we are reading, it is based on a true story, and Punke is a fantastic storyteller. It tells the tale of mountain man Hugh Glass while trapping along the Missouri River for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, owned by William Ashley, in 1823.

The central event of the story is the infamous bear attack on Glass that left him severely, and what was believed to be mortally, wounded.

The group, led by Andrew Henry, was in dangerous territory and needed to reach its trapping grounds before the season ended. Believing Glass would soon die, Henry left two men behind — John Fitzgerald and a young, inexperienced Jim Bridger — to wait for his death, bury him, and then rejoin the expedition. Instead of waiting, the two men abandoned Glass, taking his gear and rifle with them. Glass’ astonishing ability to survive forms the heart of the story, and his desire for revenge becomes the force keeping him alive. Not only was he left behind — which might be understandable given the circumstances — but his gear and rifle were taken, items that could have greatly aided his survival.

The subtitle of the book is A Novel of Revenge, but the story is about much more than that. It is a story about morality, choices, and accountability.

Throughout the book, the men face life-and-death decisions. Should the main party have left Glass behind? Should the entire expedition have been delayed to see whether he lived or died? Was the life of one man, who appeared to have no chance of survival, worth risking the livelihood of the entire group and potentially destroying the expedition’s business? Should the two men left behind have stayed with him if they believed a Native war party might be nearby? If captured, they might sacrifice their own lives for a man who seemed destined to die anyway.

And if they truly believed Glass would not survive, was it wrong to take his rifle? It is easy to judge these men, but the story encourages readers to place themselves in a similar situation.

Would you risk your life for someone who seemed certain to die? These difficult choices continue throughout the book. After Glass’ miraculous survival, he, too, must make decisions — especially regarding the men who betrayed him.

Along the way, others are drawn into his quest for revenge, and some even lose their lives as a result.

The majority of “The Revenant” focuses on Glass’ struggle to stay alive, yet it also explores the backstory of this relatively unknown frontier figure. The novel recounts his upbringing, his time at sea — including his capture and forced involvement in piracy and his eventual escape. It also describes the time he spent living among the Pawnee, where he learned many of the skills that later helped him survive in the wilderness.

The novel works on many levels.

It is an adventure story, a survival story, and a classic mountain man tale. Yet it goes beyond that.

It is about perseverance, moral choices, and ultimately the human condition. If that is not enough, it also sheds light on an important period in American history: the fur trade. The story takes place only about 20 years after the Lewis and Clark Expedition first explored the region and helps fill in some of the history of those early frontier years. It also shows the complex relationships between trappers and Native tribes — relationships that involved both conflict and cooperation.

Even if you have seen the film adaptation, “The Revenant,” it is well worth reading. As with most movie adaptations, the book explores far more than the central theme of revenge; it presents an important moment in history and tells an inspiring and thought-provoking story.

Published in 2015, Michael Punke’s “The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge,” 272 pp., is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Thrift Books, and Walmart.

James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at james.finck@swoknews.com. Thanks to the Southwest Ledger and the Lawton Constitution for sharing his column.