"Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. Aladdin Paperbacks ed. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2007. Print. 186 pp. ISBN-13: 978-1416948346. (Originally published by Bradbury Books in 1987.)

Summary:

Thirteen year-old Brian Robeson's mom and dad just went through a divorce, and now - instead of spending time with his whole family and his friends during the summer - Brian has to fly to Canada to visit his father. Brian is angry - angry at his parents, angry at the lawyers, angry at the judge and most of all, angry at his mother for The Secret that had torn his whole family apart. The Secret was the reason why his father was living and working so far away in the Canadian oil fields and Brian and his mother lived together in their old house.

In the course of his flight to visit his father, Brian's ripped from his own musings when the pilot - the only other person on the single-engine plane - has a heart attack and dies. Brian survives the initial plane crash but is only able to escape with a ripped up windbreaker and the small hatchet his mother gave him just before he got on the flight. Brian must use his wits and every ounce of strength he has (both mental and physical) in order to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness. Will he be rescued before winter comes? Will he, a soft city kid, be able to survive on his own?

Review:

This book was riveting from start to finish. Paulsen's work contains many of the qualities of good Young Adult literature discussed in Chapter 1 (Nilsen and Donelson, 17-37). The book involves switches back and forth through time as seen through Brian's memories of the events leading up to his parents' divorce and his trip to visit his father. While the book is not written in first person, it is written in an omniscient third person that allows the reader to see the world as Brian sees it and experience his thoughts and emotions fully. The action in the book centers around Brian's survival, which is accomplished purely through his own actions - thereby giving him the credit for his own accomplishments. The action is also fast paced, with edge-of-the-seat suspense both in pivotal scenes and a continuing tension throughout the novel centering around Brian's continued survival and his possibility of rescue. Despite all of the tension and despite a few (natural) outbursts by the main character, the book also retains a sense of optimism that Brian will be rescued, even if that means Brian must work harder on his own to make sure he is found. Just when it seems he is about to give up, something happens to give Brian the courage to keep surviving and keep working to help his would-be rescuers find him. Last but not least, there is additional tension in the book as readers try to discern just what the Secret is and why Brian is so angry about it. Through this work, readers are authentically able to relate with Brian's feelings about divorce, his mother's actions, and the legal system that so blithely split his family into pieces. One weakness about the story, in my opinion, is the scene where an animal attacks Brian for no apparent reason. The way it was written seemed to me as almost a random occurrence. There is no explanation for it. The scene would have been more believable if Paulsen had explained that the animal was protecting its baby nearby. But the way it occurs feels almost like Paulsen needed something bad to happen to Brian, so he pulled a scenario out of a hat. But that is the only weakness I perceived in the novel.

Awards:

"Hatchet" has won numerous awards, including its selection as a Newbery Honor Book, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Notable Children's Book, a Booklist Editor's Choice book, a Notable Children's Book in the Field of Social Studies, and multiple awards on the state level.

Teaching Extensions:

As a middle school English/Reading teacher, I could build an entire unit around this book. The Reader's Guide at the end of the edition I purchaced suggests that teachers ask students to create a list of 10 things they would NEED in order to survive. Once students had all created their lists, the teacher should ask the students to keep their lists in their binders to be used in a later exercise. Once the book had been read all the way through, engage the students in a discussion comparing their lists to the tools Brian had in "Hatchet."

While the students are reading the book, when they reach key passages, engage them in discussion regarding how they feel they would act and behave in similar situations. Most of my students have never lived outside of a city. With what survival skills, if any, would they be equipped to survive in the wilderness for 54 days? Discuss what keeps Brian optimistic about his rescue, and in what situations does that optimism slip?

When the book is finished, have the students write a different ending for the book in which Brian is NOT rescued before winter comes. What do they envision happens to Brian? When they have completed their versions, have the class read "Brian's Winter," Paulsen's vision of what would have happened to Brian if he had had to survive longer in the wild. Have the students write a comparison and contrast essay between their ending and Paulsen's revised one.

Assign the students to rewrite the story creating a version in which Brian must crash land the plane in an urban environment. What elements of the story would be different? Would it be harder to crash land a plane in the wilderness or in the city/suburbs?

As a tie-in with science and social studies, have students study about the area of Canada in which the story is set. Are Paulsen's descriptions of the landscape, geography and animal life correct? Do the animals actually behave in the ways Paulsen described? Are there really tornadoes in Canada? Can you eat raw turtle eggs and "gut cherries" without poisoning yourself?

Reference:

Nilsen, Alleen P, and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for Today's Young Adults. Boston: Pearson, 2009. Print.