Monday, December 9, 2013

In Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, in what ways has Brian changed since the airplane crash?

Prior to the crash, Brian was really just like the usual teenager. He was dealing with a painful divorce, but he is not particularly strong physically or mentally. At the time of the crash, he feels sorry for himself and is very scared at the prospect of being alone and trying to survive.


But as time goes on and he finds a great inner strength, he begins to mature, thanks to the difficulties he faces and the hard work he does to overcome them. He learns a great deal about how strong he is as he gets sick and hungry and hurt and finds that he can recover from all of it. By the time he finds the survival pack in the plane, he has come to feel that he is the master of his surroundings and has grown very confident in his physical capabilities.


He also matures mentally as he deals with both the challenges of the wilderness and the pain he still feels about the knowledge of "the secret" and the reason for his parents' divorce. His acceptance of his situation and the mental work he does to figure out how to move forward and survive build a great deal of mental strength within him over the course of the story.

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