The Bull Moose Symbol Analysis

In The Great Alone, the bull moose represents the impasse that Ernt creates for his family, which can only end in violence. The bull moose appears in the novel while Cora and Leni are fleeing Ernt’s wrath. After Leni witnesses Ernt beat her mother, she grabs Cora and tells her that they are leaving before Ernt kills her. Cora resists, but ultimately listens to her daughter and begins driving away from the Allbright property. Their escape takes place at night in bad weather and results in Cora flipping their van off the road after she sees a bull moose. A bull moose—or a male moose—is a giant animal, which could easily kill Cora and Leni if they run into it head-on. Instead, Cora swerves, resulting in injury to herself and her daughter. Because the moose is specified as male and because it prevents Cora and Leni from escaping, it is closely associated with Ernt. Similar to her fights with Ernt, Cora decides to avoid the moose, a decision that results in injuries to herself, but keeps Leni safe. The moose’s symbolism suggests that ultimately, there is no safe way of avoiding Ernt.