Student Question
Why does Brian feel alone in the wilderness in Hatchet?
Quick answer:
Brian feels alone in the wilderness due to both physical and emotional isolation. After a plane crash leaves him stranded in the Canadian forest, he is physically isolated without nearby towns or people. Emotionally, he feels abandoned as neither parent knows his whereabouts, compounded by the recent divorce of his parents, which leaves him grappling with his feelings. This combination of physical and emotional challenges heightens his sense of solitude.
Brian is the main character in the novel Hatchet, written by Gary Paulsen. Brian is traveling by himself in a small plane to Canada to visit his father. During their trip, the pilot of the plane suffers a heart attack, and the plane crash lands in the Canadian wilderness. The pilot does not survive and Brian is left all alone in the forests of Canada. He has only the items he brought with him and whatever is in the small plane to help him survive.
Brian feels alone both in a physical sense and in an emotional sense. He is literally all alone in the forest. There are no towns or cities or people anywhere near where he crash lands. There is only a vast forest surrounded by more wilderness containing wild animals. He also feels alone emotionally because neither of his parents knows where he is. He does not know if anyone can even tell where his plane went down when it crashed. Both of his parents are far away, and he is scared that they will never find him. Additionally, Brian's parents have recently divorced, and he is struggling with his feelings about them splitting up. During his time alone in the forest, while struggling to survive, he has time to think about his parents and how his relationship with each of them will be in the future. These feelings about his parents' divorce make him feel even more alone in the wilderness. Brian's isolation in the forest and his emotional state both contribute to why he feels so alone when he is trapped in the Canadian wilderness.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.