Hatchet is a novel by Gary Paulsen. The story is about a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian Robeson. He is the sole survivor in a plane crash, and he has to survive in the wilderness all by himself until he is rescued.

Two events in the story can be said to have greatly aided his survival. The first event is that of Brian’s mother giving him a hatchet shortly before the plane departed. The hatchet is crucial in Brian’s survival in the wilderness, as he is able to make fire by striking it against a stone. Additionally, he uses the hatchet for hunting and for cutting his way into the plane, where he finds a survival pack. The second event that aids Brian’s survival in the story is that of finding a survival pack in the plane. When the tail of the plane is drawn toward the shore by a tornado, Brian is able to cut into it using his hatchet, thus retrieving a survival pack that contains an emergency transmitter, additional food, and a .22 AR-7 rifle. Using the transmitter, he unwittingly makes a distress call, which leads to his rescue. Therefore, these two events greatly aid Brian’s survival and rescue.