Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet Novel Overview

• Hatchet is a 19-chapter fictional novel written by Gary Paulsen and published in 1986.
• The novel is a survival story about a 13-year-old boy named Brian Robeson who finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet.

Author Background

• Gary Paulsen was inspired to write Hatchet by his own survival experiments and tendencies.
• Paulsen had a difficult upbringing with parents who suffered from alcoholism and poverty.
• He learned to forage for food and acquired other survival skills from a young age.

Plot Summary

• The story begins with Brian Robeson, a 13-year-old boy, who knows "The Secret" about his mother's affair, which led to his parents' divorce.
• Brian boards a single-engine plane to visit his father in the Canadian oil fields, but the pilot has a heart attack and dies in flight.
• Brian crash-lands the plane into a lake and escapes with only his clothes and the hatchet his mother gave him.
• He must survive in the wilderness, learning to forage for food, make a shelter, and start a fire.
• Brian faces various challenges, including a tornado, a porcupine and moose attack, and a struggle to retrieve a survival pack from the plane wreckage.

Themes

• The first half of the novel emphasizes the theme of positive thinking and perseverance.
• The second half explores the theme of harmony with nature, as Brian learns to appreciate and respect the natural world.

Analysis

• The novel is a thrilling tale of survival that raises questions about the reader's ability to cope in similar situations.
• Paulsen uses the literary device of flashbacks to reveal Brian's backstory and character development.

Critical Reception

• Hatchet received the Newbery Medal and was adapted into a film.
• The novel's success inspired Paulsen to write other books in the Hatchet series, cementing his reputation as a well-known author.