I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964

Jackson Barrett is the protagonist of I Survived the Great Alaskan Earthquake, 1964. An 11-year-old boy, Jackson has spent his whole life in the remote wilderness of Alaska, where he lives with his parents in an off-grid cabin near the Copper River. This unconventional upbringing has made Jackson resilient and hardworking; he is always ready to use The Survivalist Mindset and his work ethic to cope with dangerous situations in the wild. For instance, in one incident, Jackson is caught in a blizzard while out hunting rabbits. He remembers his family mantra and quickly constructs a shelter to protect himself. Tarshis writes, “Get to work! His mind suddenly cleared. He’d stood up and slipped off his beat-up army backpack, which was packed with emergency supplies. Jackson had used the shovel to dig himself a big hole under a spruce tree. When the hole was good and deep, he’d climbed inside” (20-21).

While the remote nature of his home challenges Jackson, his love of nature is evident. The author describes Jackson’s perspective as he ice fishes with his parents: “Jackson looked around now, shivering a little. His toes were numb. But he smiled to himself as he looked up the river.