Book Analysis Essay on Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Introduction

Hatchet was a book written by Gary Paulsen from the reviews of parenting magazines and family marriages. Hatchet is also one of the several books narrated by Brian Robeson. Initially, the book was written as a stand-alone novel after Paulsen decided to write several alternate and sequels endings. The prototypical story starts from an airplane crash where a surviving 13-year-old boy ends up spending two months in the forests of Canada (Paulsen, 2013). Even though he traveled with his parents, who were planning to divorce, Brian remained the only survivor in the plane crash. While onboard, the pilot shared some skills to Brian on how to fly the airplane, but after a short while, the pilot gets a heart attack and dies. During the confusion, Brian manages to maneuver the plane for hours, but due to lack of enough experience, he ended up crashing levelly and gently near the lake. The essay will review Hatchet and show what the author wanted to communicate to the audience.

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At the lake, the plane sunk, and all that Brian was left with was a hatchet attached to his belt. Even though he was injured, the pain he endured was not severe but fundamental. After a few hours, Brian managed to put a temporary shelter over his head and started a fire. He then made an arrow and bow to catch birds and fish to avoid staying hungry. Even though he filled his stomach, Brian also battled from emerges and despair as he began thinking about his mistakes (Paulsen, 2013). In less than a second, a rogue moose attacked him, and this reminded him of his mortality.

Brian had mixed feelings and emotions when the plane resurfaced again from the lake because of the survival pack. At the back of his mind, he knew the kit would make him get rescued. Inside the bag, Brian comes along with many things like cooking equipment, frozen food, and cooking equipment. He also finds a radio but had no idea how it operates. During sunset, as Brian was making his dinner, he heard a motor overhead (Paulsen, 2013). He goes surprised because the radio he found was a transmitter. A trader plane that was flying through that area listened to the signal of the receiver and came to rescue Brian.

The Review

The book has a delicate balance between the details of the character and the focus of the forest. Except for the beginning and the end, the book focuses on Brian as the protagonist. The author also focused on him and everything he did, including how he was affected and how he relayed his character. There is quite a bit of creativity when the young boy notices that he can create fire with his Hatchet. The same centralization of one aspect is also seen in the book Little House in the Big Woods (Paulsen, 2013). Brian was the only character that came up with new deals and ideas besides his setbacks so that no one could have tension.

There is a delicate balance between strength and fear when Brian was taking care of himself in all the challenges around him. Even though he felt alone and scared, he managed to handle everything calmly. However, there was a time he felt like killing himself because he felt unable to go on with the journey. The book instead showed how he gained his hope again every time he discovered something new with the things he had taken from the sunken ship. No one has an idea why the author created the theme of wilderness survival, but his details were so accurate and reasonable (Paulsen, 2013). Rumors have spread that Paulsen used this notion because one day, he was also faced with the wilderness experience.

The narration of this book was directed to readers that had similar ages like Brian, but the adventure engaged all the adult readers. Even though one would not want to go live in the wilderness, it gives viewers the perception of how someone can survive. The lessons given out by Brian were that for one to survive in such thriving places, they need to be courageous. One thing parents should understand is that the book is a fast, intense, and exciting read. This is because it shows how a young boy who came from a divorced family manages to survive in the wilderness of Canada while traveling (Paulsen, 2013). It's only through the goof memories he had with his father that he remembered how to use the Hatchet just the way his father taught him. After the release of this book, many kids reported that it was the first book they have ever loved to read.

Conclusion

Hatchet was a book written by Gary Paulsen from the reviews of parenting magazines and family marriages. Another reason why the author wrote this book was that one day, he was also faced with the wilderness experience. There is a delicate balance between strength and fear when Brian was taking care of himself in all the challenges around him. For instance, even though he had mixed feelings and emotions when the plane resurfaced again from the lake, he managed to battle from emerges and despair and all the mistakes he did in the past.

The book also has a delicate balance between the details of the character and the focus of the forest. For instance, at the age of 13 years, no boy can survive in such a place. The author instead decided to show the readers that in danger or uncomfortable zones, anyone can survive when they embrace courage. The lessons given out by Brian were that for one to survive in such thriving places, they need to be courageous. After the release of this book, many kids reported that it was the first book they have ever loved to read.

References

Paulsen, G. (2013). Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: student packet. Bulverde, TZ: Novel Units.