Hatchet Analysis
- Brian's hatchet is a symbol of both life and death. On one hand, the hatchet is Brian's primary means of survival. On the other hand, the hatchet is a weapon, and when he uses it to break into the submerged plane, he finds the skeleton of the pilot. This image forces Brian to accept the brutality of nature.
- Like many children of divorce, Brian is angry and frustrated. He isn't sure how he feels about his parents. He also feels guilty about this uncertainty, and his time in the wilderness helps him come to grips with these complex emotions.
Setting
Two primary settings dominate: the sky and the wilderness. The first three chapters unfold while the plane is airborne, whereas the remaining seventeen chapters take place in the wilderness surrounding the L-shaped lake where the plane crashes. Both settings are expansive stages that dwarf the presence of a single human. While both landscapes are visually stunning, they pose significant dangers to anyone unprepared or untrained.
The wilderness is neither a paradise nor a barren wasteland. Nature does not offer Brian sustenance without effort, but it also does not make his quest for food and shelter impossible. The natural environment is a treasure trove of food and tools waiting to be discovered and utilized. The lake is picturesque, teeming with aquatic life, and surrounded by a dense, green forest covering hilly terrain. This forest is alive with a variety of birds and animals. Paulsen's depiction of the wilderness is realistic, showcasing both the beauty of a sunset turning the lake's waters golden and the torment of relentless mosquito swarms.
A rocky ledge by the lake serves as a natural lookout tower and provides shelter. This ledge becomes Brian's home, where he constructs a simple lean-to to shield himself from most elements. Here, he discovers and tends to a fire. This is also where he stores his growing collection of food, tools, and supplies. It is in this place that he sleeps and contends with dreams of danger, survival, and the Secret.
Expert Q&A
What is the setting of "Hatchet"?
The setting of "Hatchet" is primarily the Canadian wilderness, where thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is stranded for fifty-four days after a plane crash. The story begins with Brian traveling on a plane to visit his father, but most of the action takes place in the remote, dense forests and lakes of northwestern Canada. The wilderness is depicted as both beautiful and challenging, with lush landscapes and abundant wildlife, yet also fraught with dangers such as mosquitoes.
How is the Canadian wilderness described in Gary Paulsen's novel Hatchet?
The Canadian wilderness in Gary Paulsen's Hatchet is described as a landscape with a deep, blue, L-shaped lake surrounded by a green forest of pines, spruces, and aspens. The terrain is moderately hilly with small hummocks and a rocky ridge. Wildlife includes mosquitoes, black flies, a large black bird, a beaver, and numerous fish, offering a stark contrast to the gray, noisy cityscape of New York.
In Hatchet, where is Brian Robeson going when his plane crashes?
Brian Robeson is traveling from Hampton, New York, to visit his father in the oil fields of Canada when his plane crashes. His parents are recently divorced, and he is spending the summer with his father as part of their custodial arrangement. The crash location is unspecified, emphasizing his isolation. The ordeal profoundly changes Brian, marking the beginning of a series of five books by Gary Paulsen.
Does the setting of Hatchet influence Brian’s survival chances positively or negatively?
The setting of Hatchet generally has a negative influence on Brian’s chances of survival. He manages to survive primarily because of the items he brought with him, his luck in not being seriously injured in the crash, and his use of the limited resources.
What is a quote from Hatchet that describes the setting?
The setting of Hatchet is the Canadian wilderness, where Brian, after a plane crash, must survive alone. The wilderness is depicted as harsh and unforgiving, contrasting with the city life Brian knew. A quote illustrating this states, "Small mistakes could turn into disasters, funny little mistakes could snowball..." highlighting how errors in the wild can be fatal, unlike in the city where they are often fixable.
The location of the plane crash in Hatchet
The plane crash in Hatchet occurs in the Canadian wilderness. Brian, the protagonist, finds himself stranded in a remote forest area after the pilot suffers a heart attack and the plane goes down.
Brian's shelter in "Hatchet."
Brian's shelter in "Hatchet" is a small, makeshift structure that he builds using natural resources. He constructs it by leaning a rock overhang with branches and covering it with leaves and other vegetation to protect himself from the elements and wildlife.
Literary Qualities
Paulsen utilizes the classic setup found in romantic fiction: placing an individual alone in a vast natural environment to explore their character. Since the settings of the sky (viewed from a small plane) and wilderness (experienced without camping gear or a Winnebago) are unfamiliar to most modern readers, Paulsen meticulously records the physical sensations of the natural world—its sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and textures.
Three stylistic techniques contribute to the narrative's brisk pace. Paulsen frequently employs elliptical sentences and sentence fragments to capture Brian's impressions and thoughts. Numerous one-sentence paragraphs—even single-word paragraphs—create a rapid pace for readers and highlight dramatic moments in the plot or significant insights by Brian. Additionally, Paulsen often repeats key words or phrases to momentarily pause and intensify an impression. These shortened and repetitive expressions often convey Brian's "short thoughts," the disturbing memories or images (such as the pilot's body in the lake) that he must suppress to cope.
Paulsen focuses on Brian as the central consciousness, through whose thoughts, reactions, fears, hopes, and reflections the reader can both sense and understand the experience. During periods of inactivity, Brian is intensely introspective. In moments of crisis, he becomes disoriented. Sometimes he detaches himself and seems to observe from a distance. At other times, stress causes him to waver between hallucination and reality. These moments usually lead to epiphanies (such as understanding how to use the hatchet to start a fire or why the rescue plane missed him) that serve as turning points in the story.
For Further Reference
Brown, Muriel W. and Rita Schoch Foudray. "Gary Paulsen." In Newbery and Caldecott Medalists and Honor Book Winners. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1992: 324-326. This entry details awards, includes a bibliography, and provides background reading material about Paulsen up to 1991.
Campbell, Patty. "The Young Adult Perplex." Wilson Library Bulletin (January 1988): 75-76. Hatchet is one of three novels discussed in this article, which examines the difficulty of being an outsider in a society that values being part of the "in-crowd."
Coil, Marianne. Interview. Standing Room Only. National Public Radio. WFYI, Indianapolis. April 7, 1994. Coil's interview centers on Paulsen's recent novel, Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, and his passion for the race, while also sharing some recent personal details about the author.
Commire, Anne, ed. "Gary Paulsen." In Something About the Author. Vol. 54. Detroit: Gale, 1989: 76-82. Most of the personal information about Paulsen in this entry is derived from an interview conducted by Marguerite Feitlowitz for another Gale reference series, Authors and Artists for Young Adults. It also includes details of Paulsen's career and a list of his works up to 1987.
Devereaux, Elizabeth. "Gary Paulsen." Publisher's Weekly (March 28, 1994): 70. Devereaux's interview with Paulsen provides insights into his career's turnaround in 1983, his productivity since 1985, and his latest endeavors. The article also contains other commonly known background information about Paulsen.
Engelhardt, Tom. "Reading May Be Harmful to Your Kids." Harper's (June 1991): 55-62. The author reviews the fiction of Lois Duncan, Gary Paulsen, and Christopher Pike to assess the quality of contemporary young adult literature.
"Gary Paulsen." In Authors and Artists for Young Adults. Vol. 2. Agnes Garrett and Helga P. McCure, eds. Detroit: Gale Research, 1989: 165-173. This reference article lists Paulsen's work through 1988 and sources biographical information from three places: Marguerite Feitlowitz's interview for this Gale series, Maryann N. Weidt's August 1986 article in Voice of Youth Advocates, "Gary Paulsen: A Sentry for Peace," and Franz Serdahely's January 1980 article in Writer's Digest, "Prolific Paulsen."
"Gary Paulsen." In Children's Literature Review. Vol. 19. Gerard Senick and Sharon R. Gunton, eds. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990: 167-178. This essay begins with a summary of Paulsen's work through 1985, with author commentary sourced from Maryann N. Weidt's August 1986 article in Voice of Youth Advocates, "Gary Paulsen: A Sentry for Peace." Readers will also find reviews of various Paulsen works for children up to 1988.
Serdahely, Franz. "Prolific Paulsen." Writer's Digest (January 1980): 20-21. Although somewhat dated, this article includes valuable information on Paulsen's early years as a writer, his writing habits, and advice for aspiring authors.
Trumpet Video Visits Gary Paulsen. Directed by Diane Kolyer. Trumpet Club, 1993. 24 minutes. This video aims to introduce children to the author and spark their interest in his books. Paulsen briefly comments on Canyons, The Cookcamp, Hatchet, The Monument, The River, and The Winter Room, but the true value lies in the insights it provides into Paulsen's writing methods.
Weidt, Maryann N. "The Fortunes of Poverty." Writer's Digest (January 1992): 8. In this concise and inspiring article, Weidt draws from Paulsen's memories of the challenging periods during his writing career to motivate struggling authors.
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