Summary of Barkskins

Summary of Barkskins: by Annie Proulx | Includes Analysis Preview:Barkskins by Annie Proulx is a novel about settler colonialism in North America and the eradication of the boreal forest and its native inhabitants. The novel spans 300 years tracing the family lineages of two Frenchmen, Charles Duquet and Rene Sel. In the late seventeenth century, Duquet and Sel, two poor indentured servants, arrive in the wild, seemingly infinite coniferous forest of New France. Their master, Claude Trepagny, tasks them with cutting trees to clear the land for a new maize plot. He tells them that after three years of servitude they will receive their own land to work. Soon after, the enterprising Duquet runs away to join the fur trade. Sel, a skilled woodsman, remains. But then Trepagny forces Sel to marry Mari, an older Mi'kmaw woman with whom Trepagny had been living, so that Trepagny can marry a wealthy Frenchwoman. In exchange for Sel's cooperation, Trepagny gives the young man PLEASE NOTE: This is summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary of Barkskins: Summary of the Book Important People Character Analysis Analysis of the Themes and Author's Style About the AuthorWith Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.