Hatchet

By Gary Paulsen

About the Book

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is en route to spending the summer with his father when the pilot of the single engine plane in which he is flying has a heart attack. The plane crashes in a lake in the Canadian wilderness, leaving Brian alone in the woods with nothing but the clothes on his back and a hatchet that his mother had given him.

During the fifty-four days that Brian lives in the wilderness, he learns to read nature, conquer his fears, rely on his own ingenuity, and deal with the haunting secret that caused his parents’ recent divorce. He comes of age in the woods, but in ways he never expected. He is no longer angry at his parents, and he realizes that self-pity has no positive effect on life. He is a survivor, and that is what makes him a man.

Prereading Activity

· Hatchet is about survival. Ask students to name one thing they think belongs in a survival kit. Make a list of all the suggestions, and engage the class in a discussion about why these things are important. Tell the students that only ten items can fit into a survival kit. Have them debate the ten most essential items.

Discussion Questions

1. Brian Robeson is haunted by “The Secret” about his mother. Discuss why he hasn’t told his father about his mother’s affair. How does keeping “The Secret” make him feel guilty? Explain Brian’s feelings toward his mother at the beginning of the novel when she takes him to the airport. How is his indifference toward her related to “The Secret”? Why is “The Secret” less important to Brian by the end of the novel?

2. When Brian’s mother makes reference to his father, Brian reacts by thinking, “Not ‘my father.’ My Dad.” How might Brian explain the difference between a “dad” and a “father”? Why is the difference so important to him?

3. Discuss how Brian uses information that he has learned from movies and specials on public television to understand the animals in the wild. How does this knowledge contribute to his survival? What does Brian mean when he says that his knowledge is “tough hope”?

4. Immediately following the crash, Brian has hope that someone will rescue him by late night. At what point does he begin to give up hope that he will be found? There are times when Brian suffers from great despair. How does he deal with these dark moments?

5. Brian once had an English teacher who encouraged his students to “get motivated.” He told them, “You are your most valuable asset. Don’t forget that. You are the best thing you have.” How does this message give Brian courage when he is alone in the wilderness? Describe how Brian learns to depend on his own ingenuity.

6. In spite of Brian’s bad luck, he does feel that he has some good luck. Describe his first good luck moment. What is his ultimate good luck? Discuss how Brian’s experiences in the wilderness might change the way he deals with bad luck in the future.

7. Brian is at times overcome with fear. Discuss how fear is both helpful and harmful to Brian. How does he learn to deal with fear? At what point does he learn not to fear the animals, but to share the woods with them?

8. Explain the following statement: “[T]he two things, his mind and his body, had come together . . . had made a connection with each other that he didn’t quite understand.” How does this connection play a role in his survival? Discuss how this connection might guide him throughout life.

9. Brian is alone in the Canadian wilderness for fifty-four days. After four days in the woods, Brian feels that “he had died and been born as the new Brian.” Think about Brian’s return. Describe the new Brian from the point of view of himself, his mother, his father, and his friends.

10. Brian keeps a mental journal of his experiences so that he might share them with his father. What are the mistakes that he records in his mental journal? Describe his best memories.

11. After the tornado exposes the tail of the sunken plane, Brian dives into the water and retrieves the survival kit that the pilot carried. He finds food, matches, and other things that make his survival easier. There is also a rifle. How does the rifle change Brian? Why doesn’t he like the change?

Culminating Thoughts

· Among the virtues that Brian acquires during his fifty-four days alone in the Canadian wilderness are willpower, patience, hope, courage, and trust in his instincts. How might these qualities affect Brian for the rest of his life? What other lessons in life does Brian learn from his experience?

· Suppose Brian prepares a survival kit for another trip to the wilderness. Based on his experiences in the wild, what ten items might he place in the kit?

Writing Activity

· Write a paper that Brian writes at the beginning of school titled “What I Did on My Summer Vacation.”

Prepared by Pat Scales, retired school librarian and independent consultant, Greenville, South Carolina.

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes. For more Simon & Schuster guides and classroom materials, please visit https://www.simonandschuster.net/m/prek12-teachers-librarians/teaching-resources