Student Question
How did Brian enhance his arrows in Hatchet?
Quick answer:
Brian enhances his arrows by using feathers from a foolbird's wings and tail for better stability. He attaches these feathers to the arrows using thread from his windbreaker and pitch from a stump. Although these modifications improve the arrows, they are still not perfect, requiring Brian to be very close to his target for effective hunting.
When Brian is working to find some of the foolbirds and finally realizes the way to find them is by looking for the particular shape, he is very excited. The only problem is that his arrows have zero stability so they go every which way but where he points them. He is eventually able to use his fish spear to kill one and is overjoyed. When he goes to clean the bird he keeps some of the wing and tail feathers as they were stiff and straight and he figured he would be able to use them on the arrows.
He eventually uses thread from a piece of his windbreaker and some "pitch from a stump" to attach the feathers to the arrows. These arrows are not perfect, he has to be very close to his prey for them to work.
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