Hatchet Summary

FICTION #3: An individual’s struggle toward understanding and awareness is the traditional subject for the novelist. In Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian Robeson, our protagonist, is going to visit his dad when he is unexpectedly stranded in a forest, somewhere in Canada, after his plane has crash landed. In the early scenes of the book, we can discover that Brian is a troubled young boy who is anxious and perplexed. Brian is perplexed because of “The Secret” about his mom’s affair and about why his parents are divorced. He is anxious because the pilot has just had a heart attack and died, causing Brian to have to fly the plane by himself. Throughout the book, we learn that besides being afraid and lost, Brian shows that he is also brave, self-reliant,
and intelligent.
Our protagonist is brave because he flew the plane by himself when the pilot unexpectedly perished. He also demonstrated bravery when he was attacked by a bear and a moose. We know that Brian is self-reliant because he built himself a small shelter as protection from animals, bugs, and the weather. He learned how to use his hatchet to start a fire so he could keep warm and cook food. He went back to the lake, where the plane had sunk, to see if he could find anything of use. We know that he is intelligent because he knows how to use his resources and also how to trust his instincts.