Hatchet Symbolism

Authors shape their texts using a range of narrative techniques and conventions designed to influence readers into engaging with the characters and action of their stories, and encourage readers to welcome their ideas, values and attitudes. In the novel Hatchet, author Gary Paulsen demonstrates three heavy themes to readers; the initiation into manhood; man and the natural world, and; contrasting regions. Paulsen positions readers to recognise his attitude towards these three prevalent themes in the story through the use of the protagonists characterisation, the symbolism of the wolf, and finally through the precise use of point of view. Despite each reader being positioned differently in their understanding of a text as a result of their own
Due to Brian’s roots being in the city and having spent his entire life in a urban environment, his adventure in the wilderness holds significant importance in the portrayal of the theme of contrasting regions. Paulsen uses the narrative convention, third person omniscient point of view, to help readers understand what Brian is going through by telling of both his physical and emotional frame of reference. While Brian is familiar to the conveniences of an urban life, his experience in the natural world forces him to become completely self-sufficient. “It had always been so simple at home. He would go to the store and get a chicken and it was all cleaned and neat, no feathers or insides, and his mother would bake it in the oven and he would eat it. His mother from the old time, from the time before, would bake it” (page 139), by using flashbacks and giving readers a glimpse of what Brian's life was like before the crash, and to then contrast it to his life in the woods, Paulsen is using point of view to allow readers to apprehend the harrowing conditions Brian has to endure. Paulsen uses third person omniscient in particular to give readers additional and essential information that Brian might not know or has not yet experienced himself so that the reader has all the necessary information needed to root for Brian’s survival. Readers are positioned through the use of
Paulsen does this in order to persuade readers into welcoming his ideas, values and attitudes towards the three main themes. Through using the characterisation of Brian to portray his attitude about the theme of initiation into manhood, Paulsen places adolescent readers in a position where they feel as if they in the same situation as Brian which allows them to develop similar qualities and responsibilities, only to benefit themselves. By using the symbolism of the wolf in illustrating the theme of man and the natural world, Paulsen positions readers to accept Brian as part of the wilderness and influences them to view Brian’s new relationship with nature and his new sense of identity as a growing and learning point for both Brian and the readers. Finally, through using third person omniscient point of view, Paulsen shows readers how important the excess information given by this type of perspective can be when regarding the contrasting regions of urban and rural life and how this theme allows for not only character transformation and development, but also the readers own personal transformation and development. Paulsen’s range of conventions and techniques in Hatchet allow for readers to be positioned and influenced however he requires them to be in order to convince them that through perseverance and common