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STUDY GUIDE FOR HATCHET BOOK SUMMARY
KEY FACTS
Title
Hatchet
Author
Gary Paulsen
Date Published
1987
Meaning of the Title
It refers to the tool that had been given to him by his mother merely
as an observation that he was heading into Canada but which became the
most important tool to assure his survival.
Setting
Hampton, New York and the forests of northern Canada.
Protagonist
Brian Robeson who comes of age after crashing in the Canadian wilderness.
Antagonist
The greatest antagonist is the forest and all its dangers, but the
other antagonist is Brian himself who must call on all of his strengths
and intelligence to survive life in the wilderness.
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Mood
At times, the mood is just sad as Brian thinks about the Secret that
led to his parents’ divorce; at other times, it is fearful as he learns
to deal with the dangers Nature throws at him; finally, it is uplifting
as the reader comes to applaud Brian’s tenacity and will to survive before
he is finally rescued.
Point of View
It is written omnisciently as if viewed by a source outside all the
action.
Tense
This story is written in the past tense.
Rising Action
The rising action begins in chapter one when Brian’s plane crashes
in the Canadian wilderness and he is forced to find a way to survive.
It continues with him learning new skills every day and growing and maturing
until he is finally rescued.
Exposition
Brian Robeson is a thirteen year old boy who survives a plane crash
in the Canadian wilderness after the pilot dies of a heart attack. He
is forced to find a way to survive, and in the ensuing fifty-four days
he is lost, he learns many new things such as building a shelter, finding
food, and making a fire. He eventually retrieves the survival pack from
the tail of the plane, ironically, after he has learned many ways to survive
without it.
Climax
The climax of the story occurs when Brian finally finds a way into
the tail of the plane after a tornado dislodges it from the bottom of
the lake. Within it are the “treasures” he believes he will need to continue
his life in the woods of Canada.
Outcome
After Brian obtains the treasure from the tail of the crashed plane,
he finds an emergency transmitter which he accidentally turns on. He doesn’t
realize he’s done so, because there is so perceivable change in it, and
he disregards it while he takes pleasure from all the other supplies he
finds in the pack. Just then, he hears the sound of another plane which
lands on the lake. The pilot had picked up the signal from the emergency
transmitter and now has come to rescue him at last. This is followed by
an Epilogue which explains all the Brian learned from his survival experience
and how, even though his parents do not reconcile, he can keep the Secret
just that, a secret, so no one else will be hurt by it.
Major Themes
Never give up; Perseverance and determination; Maturity; and Education
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Clapsaddle, Diane. "TheBestNotes on Hatchet".
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. 11 May 2008 |