hatchet essay free

by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet essay questions.

How does author Gary Paulsen use repetition in Hatchet ?

For Brian to survive in the forest, he must constantly retain his composure and make rational decisions, even when things seem to go terribly wrong. He must stop thinking about the world that he has left and focus only on the tasks at hand. In order to do this, he frequently repeats things in his mind in order to keep himself on track. Paulsen represents these repetitive thoughts through lines like "there were these things to do," emphasizing that Brian has hyper-focused on what he needs to do to survive in order to keep out upsetting thoughts of home and self-pity.

Why is the novel called " Hatchet"?

After the plane crashes, Brian finds himself in the forest with nothing but a hatchet on his belt. Over time, the hatchet proves to be the most useful tool he could possibly have: it allows him to make fire, hunt for food, and build a shelter. Without the hatchet, it is unlikely that he would have been able to survive his time in the woods. Having the hatchet also gave him the psychological confidence he needed to keep going. Because of the vital role that this tool played in his survival, it is only fitting that the novel be called Hatchet.

What important lessons does Brian learn about nature over the course of his time in the forest?

Brian needs to become a part of nature in order to survive, so he learns a lot about the way it functions while he is stranded. He figures out the way creatures in nature see things; they perceive the whole thing, not merely selected parts, because this allows them to take in their entire environment. He learns that in nature, everything happens for a reason, and as such, nature does not waste. He also learns how important it is to allow nature to take its course, to respect it and the creatures it holds. Brian develops a mutual respect with both the bear and the wolves, showing that they accept him as a part of his domain.

How do Brian's feelings about the Secret change over time?

Before the plane crash and in its immediate aftermath, all Brian can think about is the Secret and the way it has torn his family apart. Even while he is trying to focus on survival, thoughts of the past and what he saw continually plague him. While stranded in the forest, however, he eventually comes to terms with it, accepting that the past does not need to torment him and that he should instead focus on the immediate present. By the end of the novel, he still has not told his father about the Secret, a sign that he is comfortable holding it in his own mind for the time being.

Would Brian have undergone the same transformation had he found the survival pack much earlier? Why or why not?

The survival pack from the crashed plane contains numerous lifesaving items that would certainly have kept Brian alive had he found it earlier. The difference, though, is that these items are all manmade, created for ease of use by "city people," the kind of person Brian is before the crash. Because he did not have these items, Brian had to learn how to become a part of nature, how to use all of the things in his environment and make the most of what he has available. Had he been solely relying on manmade items that gave him what he wanted instantly, he would not have learned the important values of patience and perseverance.

How does Brian's physical transformation mirror his psychological transformation?

Brian only looks at his reflection in the water a few times over the course of his time in the forest, and each time he sees someone different. The epilogue also notes the way he has physically changed. He has slimmed down, lost his baby fat, become leaner and more muscular. His face has tanned, scarred, and taken on a new seriousness. Brian's new appearance reflects the way he has physically grown up during his ordeal, the same way he has mentally matured, now viewing the world in an entirely different way.

Why does finding the rifle make Brian feel so uncomfortable?

Brian has had to spend many weeks rediscovering the basic tools that helped humanity survive before any sort of artificial, factory products existed. He has used elements in his environment to survive, becoming one with nature in this way. The gun represents the intrusion of mankind on nature, bringing in a dangerous object from the outside world that was not meant to be there and could upset the fragile balance of things. The gun represents a huge change in lifestyle, so naturally Brian is not comfortable with it.

What roles do sleep and dreaming play in this novel?

Particularly in the immediate aftermath of the crash, Brian spends a lot of time sleeping. His dreams serves to both reflect his thoughts of the past—like when he dreams about the Secret—and also provide him with useful insights that help him survive, like his dream about his father and Terry making fire. Beyond this, sleeping continues to serve an extremely important purpose for the entirety of the two months that Brian spends stranded. Sleeping is his chance to recharge, to recover the energy he needs to keep pushing on during the day.

In what sense is the disappearance of the search plane the turning point in the novel?

After Brian fails to signal the search plane, he enters into a psychological rut of self-pity and depression. Though he has experienced these thoughts before, this occasion is the worst of all of them, and he even thinks about suicide. But he is able to overcome this depression and keep moving forward, marking his transformation to the new Brian at last.

Why does Paulsen choose to fast-forward in the second part of the novel to the point at which Brian has already been in the forest for weeks?

Author Paulsen makes the distinct choice to tell the second part of the novel as flashbacks, after Brian has already spent much time in the forest. Brian recounts the events that had brought him to that point with the kind of wisdom that can only come from experience. This was an effective choice, because it allows us to fully see the contrast between the old Brian and the new Brian. If he had told the story in complete chronological order, the transformation would have happened gradually and would not have been as distinct and noticeable.

Hatchet Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Hatchet is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What challenges does Brian face regarding food?

Brian had never before had to trap or catch his own food, and he didn't know how to start a fire. He didn't know what berries were safe to eat, and as a result, he became very sick.

How long have brians parents been divorced

The divorce was only a month old.

First Read: Hatchet

I'm sorry, you have not provided the excerpt in question. Please include all information in your posts.

Study Guide for Hatchet

Hatchet study guide contains a biography of Gary Paulsen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Hatchet
• Hatchet Summary
• Hatchet Video
• Character List

Lesson Plan for Hatchet

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Hatchet
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Hatchet Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Hatchet

• Introduction
• Sequel novels
• Film adaptation

Gary Paulsen

Everything you need for every book you read..

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Gary Paulsen's Hatchet . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Hatchet: Introduction

Hatchet: plot summary, hatchet: detailed summary & analysis, hatchet: themes, hatchet: quotes, hatchet: characters, hatchet: symbols, hatchet: theme wheel, brief biography of gary paulsen.

Historical Context of Hatchet

Other books related to hatchet.

• Full Title: Hatchet
• When Written: mid-1980s
• Where Written: Unknown
• When Published: 1987
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Young Adult novel, bildungsroman, nature writing
• Setting: The wilderness in Northern Canada
• Climax: When Brian explores the plane, successfully obtaining the survival pack but also seeing the pilot’s deteriorating body.
• Antagonist: The dangers of the wilderness, as well as the blindness of a human society that does not value nature.
• Point of View: Third person

Extra Credit for Hatchet

Turtle Eggs. Although Paulsen had already personally experienced much of what Brian experiences in the book, he tried to eat a raw turtle egg as research for Hatchet , so that he could describe what Brian tastes as accurately as possible. Unlike Brian, however, Paulsen couldn’t make himself swallow the egg.

Survival Guide.   In 2007, the father of a boy who was lost in the wilderness of North Carolina for four days credited Hatchet with helping his son survive. A fan of the book, 12-year-old Michael Auberry reportedly managed to find water and survive below-freezing nighttime temperatures during his ordeal.

72 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Pre-Reading Context

Thought & Response Prompts

Paired Texts & Other Resources

Essay Questions

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Get access to this full Teaching Guide and much more!

• 7,350+ In-Depth Study Guides
• 4,950+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
• Downloadable PDFs

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. How does Brian use knowledge from books, movies, and life experiences to his advantage?

• A direct answer to this question should serve as your topic sentence.
• Provide at least three examples of Brian’s reliance on his memory of information from books, movies, and life experiences. Analyze each example in a separate paragraph, explaining how the example supports the answer you provided in the topic sentence.
• Finally, discuss in your concluding sentence or sentences how Brian’s use of knowledge connects to his overall success surviving in the wilderness .

The SuperSummary difference

• 8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
• Study Guides you won ' t find anywhere else
• 100+ new titles every month

2. Brian often talks about luck. Does Brian have good or bad luck? What does the novel say about the concept of luck?

• In your opinion, does Brian generally have good or bad luck? ( topic sentence )
• What are three examples that support your assertion of whether Brian’s luck is good or bad?

Don't Miss Out!

Access Teaching Guide Now

Related Titles

By Gary Paulsen

Brian's Hunt

Gary Paulsen

Brian's Return

Brian's Winter

Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books

Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered

How Angel Peterson Got His Name

Masters of Disaster

My Life in Dog Years

Soldiers Heart: Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers

The Crossing

The Monument

The Transall Saga

The Voyage of the Frog

The Winter Room

Featured Collections

Action & Adventure

View Collection

Coming-of-Age Journeys

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Literature

Essay Samples on Hatchet

The theme of never giving up in gary paulsen's "hatchet".

Gary Paulsen’s Young adult fiction story, Hatchet, takes place on a small island, an island with no people where he is alone. Brian got in this situation as the pilot of the plane he was on had died and Brian with no experience of flying...

Literature Analysis of the Young Adult Book 'Hatchet'

There are seven key characteristics of young adult literature. Some of these features include the book being written from the viewpoint of young people. Young people are expected to solve their problems even though they may get some support from adults. These stories are made...

• Literary Devices
• Youth Culture

The Theme of Survival in "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

In Gary Paulsen's novel, "Hatchet," Brian Robinson is a 13-year-old city boy who lives in Hampton, New York, and is going through a tough time as his parents are getting a divorce. Brian has to ride a plane all by himself from Hampton, New York,...

• Book Review

Role of Hope and Perseverance in the Survival in the Novel 'Hatchet'

Survival. Humans have a weird way of them to persevere and overcome seemingly impossible opposition. Some may associate this with Charles Darwin’s theory “survival of the fittest.” Some may also associate this with the psychological term “the fight or flight response.” However, survival solely depends...

• Perseverance

Best topics on Hatchet

1. The Theme of Never Giving Up in Gary Paulsen’s “Hatchet”

2. Literature Analysis of the Young Adult Book ‘Hatchet’

3. The Theme of Survival in “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen

4. Role of Hope and Perseverance in the Survival in the Novel ‘Hatchet’

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

• 100% unique papers
• 3 hrs deadline option
• A Raisin in The Sun
• Hidden Intellectualism
• William Shakespeare
• Sonny's Blues
• A Christmas Carol
• Thanatopsis
• An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Improving writing skills since 2002

(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

• Word Count: 458
• Approx Pages: 2
• View my Saved Essays
• Downloads: 23
• Grade level: High School
• Problems? Flag this paper!

                          Thirteen year old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when his single engine airplane in which he is in crashes. This is the story line in the book called Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, a Newbery Honor Book. In the novel Hatchet, Brian Robeson shows that he is courageous, determined and hungry. .              Brian Robeson first shows his courage by landing an airplane that he doesn't know how to fly and is out of fuel. He ends up crashing the plane into a lake shaped like an "L"! It takes a lot of courage to put your hands on the wheel of an airplane! In the book, he knew "When the plane runs out of gas he should hold the nose down and head for the nearest lake and try to fly the plane kind of onto the water. That's how he thought of it." .              Determination in my words means, "persistence". Brian shows an example of determination when he lands the plane with a will to survive. He shows more determination when he tried to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together for ten minutes. It did not work but tried anyway. Once he got a fire started (by throwing his hatchet at a wall and making sparks), he showed determination by keeping it lit for extremely long periods of time. He even had to get up at night to put more firewood on the fire so it would not go out. He found the fire as a new friend. Overall, he was determined to stay alive in the wilderness until he was rescued.              The day after the crash, Brian finds himself excruciatingly hungry. He finds a kind of berry that he calls "gut berries" and eats too much of them. That night, he pukes and has the squirts. He doesn't feel too good. The moral of that part of the story is; too much of a good thing can be bad! He soon makes a spear to fish with and uses it for a couple of days with no luck. Then he remembers that water bends light. So he aims a couple of inches above the fishes and gets his share. He takes his spear and uses it to kill "fool birds" (he calls them that because of their stupidity in which they jump up a few feet away from him).

• Page 1 of 2

Essays Related to Hatchet

He hustles out of the plane with his hatchet at his side and swims to the shore. Brian uses his hatchet to make a shelter and weapons. ... After he builds the shelter, Brian uses his hatchet to make spears and arrows out of branches. ... Brian makes the fire with his hatchet and a rock. ... After that he takes his hatchet and cuts really small pieces of bark. ...

• Word Count: 473
• Grade Level: High School

2. Golding - Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies can be compared to books like Alive and Hatchet. Hatchet is a story about a kid named Brian and his fight for survival on an island all alone, unlike the children on the Lord of the Flies, Brian learns from his mistakes and makes a better life for himself. ...

• Word Count: 292
• Approx Pages: 1

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father in a small single engine plane when suddenly the pilot has a heart attack. Not knowing if the pilot is dead Brian continues to fly the plane. Soon after that the plane runs out of fuel and crashes in the middle of a lake somewher...

• Word Count: 194

4. Cast Away Write Up According To Naturalists

You were flying along in the plane, you get bad turbulence, and crash Yes, yes, we've heard this story line before, a particularly good one I recall was The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. ... Brian survived the wreck with only his hatchet. ... He used his hatchet to make spears, and also a bow and arrows. ... They both land with items, in Brian's case only with his hatchet, and the they both use them to survive. ...

• Word Count: 673
• Approx Pages: 3

5. The Nature and Function of Education within Children's' Lite

Whereas, The Hatchet helps edify know-how, determination, and more courage than the main character possessed to survive. ... Contrarily, The Hatchet the story of a lone survivor of the crash of a single engine plane in the Canadian Wilderness, for forty-five days, Brian Robseson is alone with nothing but his hatchet that was given to him as a gift from his mother before leaving on his trip to Canada. ... The hatchet is key to Brian's survival on the lake. ... He has no food and the only thing that he can use as a tool is a Hatchet that his mother gave to him before he left. ... The ...

• Word Count: 2274
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography

Kiowa's old hunting hatchet, given to him by his grandfather, not only serves as a useful day to day tool but it also serves as a reminder to who he is and to where he come from and the family he left behind. Just like the hatchet, Kiowa's bible is also a multi functional weapon against the battle of homesickness, it serves as a reminder of his father, the familiar smell of the pages and the leather soothes him and gives him relief from the stresses of the war. ... He uses his Native traditions in order to battle the Vietcong and he uses his Bible, moccasins, and hatchet to battle th...

• Word Count: 708

7. Lizzie Borden

One policeman reported that the murder weapon or hatchet had been "dropped in ashes and tossed in a box and had fine dust on it"(Crime Library). The prosecutor also claimed that the hatchet was washed thoroughly to get all the blood off, then the handle was deliberately broken. There were no traces of blood found at all on the hatchet. ... The prosecution says that the broken hatchet may have been the weapon, but there is no physical evidence that Lizzie even touched the axe. ...

• Word Count: 997
• Approx Pages: 4

8. Stranded

A small hatchet and a Swiss army knife will play a major role in helping to create shelter as well as catching food. ... Wild animals on the island can be killed using the hatchet and cleaned using the Swiss army knife. ...

"The impact of cultural..."

My Custom Write-ups

Hire experienced tutors to satisfy your "write essay for me" requests.

Enjoy free originality reports, 24/7 support, and unlimited edits for 30 days after completion.

Avail our cheap essay writer service in just 4 simple steps

John N. Williams

Ask the experts to write an essay for me!

Our writers will be by your side throughout the entire process of essay writing. After you have made the payment, the essay writer for me will take over ‘my assignment’ and start working on it, with commitment. We assure you to deliver the order before the deadline, without compromising on any facet of your draft. You can easily ask us for free revisions, in case you want to add up some information. The assurance that we provide you is genuine and thus get your original draft done competently.

Know Us Better

• Knowledge Base
• Referencing Styles
• Know Our Consultance
• Revision and Refund Policy
• Terms Of Use

Finished Papers

Customer Reviews

Team of Essay Writers