Kyle Vanderkin

Without a doubt, Brian's most important discovery during his whole ordeal is his ability to make fire. Not only does his ability to start a fire save him from dying in the wilderness, it allows him...

At the beginning of chapter 10 of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, the writer uses personification to illustrate the importance of the new-found fire in Brian's life. The fire gives Brian great joy:...

Understanding how a lightning rod works requires a significant amount of scientific education. Bradbury was a highly educated man, but he was also very aware of how small-town folks lived and how...

During the first six chapters of Hatchet, Brian Robeson begins his transformation into a crafty, tenacious survivor. The tone of the story shifts between the despair and uncertainty caused by...

The old-fashioned clock serves three purposes in 1984. First, it helps create a sense of a new or very different world in the mind of the reader. Most readers at the time the book was published...

The "things" carried in The Things They Carried impede the carriers both physically and emotionally. The narrator takes pains to list every item carried by the company exhaustively. Not only does...

O'Brien's purpose in telling The Things They Carried is twofold; to tell a war story, and to explore the purpose of storytelling itself. Beginning with "How to Tell a True War Story," O'Brien...