A Week in the Woods

The primary moral behind A Week in the Woods focuses on the many dangers of judging people before knowing them. Mr. Maxwell judges Mark based on his social status and fails to give the boy another chance or spend the time needed to understand the legitimate reasons that fuel Mark’s sullen, lackluster attitude. Mr. Maxwell dislikes being corrected by Mark in class, and after that, he never calls on him again. He is offended when Mark doesn’t show immediate enthusiasm about the week in the woods. Mr. Maxwell also sees Mark as “kind of a smart-mouth rich kid—thinks the rules are for everyone else” (131), and as someone who is lazy and spoiled. Mr. Maxwell is wrong about all of his assumptions, for in reality, Mark is a newcomer who is out of his depth, and he only wants to be liked and respected by his teacher. As the narrative states, “Mark hoped that when Mr. Maxwell saw him so pulled together, so serious, so well prepared, then the man would ease up, cut him some slack. He hoped the man would show him some respect. Because Mark knew he deserved that” (110).