You have provided a detailed summary so far, but you did not identify literary techniques (For example: allusion, foreshadowing, dramatic irony, or figurative language). You also want to include the theme. What did Brian learn from his experiences?
Hatchet book report
So, there’s this kid named Brian Robeson, right? He’s 13 and from New York City. He’s going to visit his dad in the Canadian north woods. His parents just got divorced and it’s really messing with him, especially since he found out his mom is seeing someone else. Anyway, he gets on this plane and the pilot lets him fly it for a bit, which is pretty cool. But then the pilot starts feeling sick and before you know it, he’s having a heart attack. Brian has to take over the controls and somehow manages to crash land the plane into a lake in the middle of nowhere.
Brian’s stuck in the woods with hardly any food and some injuries from the crash. He finds some weird berries that make him super sick. Later, he finds a raspberry patch and sees a bear. He builds a shelter and one night, a porcupine comes in. Brian throws his hatchet at it and ends up getting quills in his leg. Ouch! He tries to make a fire without matches and finally does it by striking his hatchet against a stone. He finds some turtle eggs and eats them. He sees a plane one day but it doesn’t see him and just keeps going. Brian’s really upset and tries to hurt himself with his hatchet, but he doesn’t go through with it. Instead, he decides to keep fighting to survive.
Brian catches his first fish and has a big meal. But that night, a skunk comes into his shelter and sprays him when he yells at it. He can’t see and smells awful. Brian gets better at making tools and catches a bird, his first meat. While he’s cleaning the bird, a moose attacks him and hurts his ribs and shoulder. Then a tornado comes and wrecks his shelter.
After the tornado, Brian sees the tail of the plane sticking out of the lake. He remembers the dead pilot and says a few words for him. He gets the idea to get the survival pack from the plane and builds a raft to do it. He drops his hatchet in the lake but dives down to get it. He sees the dead pilot’s head underwater, which is really gross. He gets sick but makes it back to his shelter to sleep.
The next morning, Brian opens the survival pack. It has a lot of useful stuff, but Brian decides to stick with the things he’s made himself. There’s some freeze-dried food that he cooks right away. He also finds something called an “Emergency Transmitter” but it doesn’t seem to work. Just as Brian’s about to eat his meal, a plane lands on the lake to rescue him. He’s totally surprised and just sitting there with his meal when they find him.
Throughout his harrowing experience in the Canadian wilderness, Brian learns the importance of resilience, self-reliance, and perseverance. He faces numerous challenges and setbacks, from the plane crash to encounters with wildlife, injuries, and natural disasters. Despite these obstacles, Brian never gives up. He learns how to survive on his own, hunting and foraging for food, building shelters, and making tools.
One of the literary techniques used in the book is foreshadowing, as Brian's initial struggles with the uncertainty of his parents' divorce foreshadow the resilience he will need to survive in the wilderness. The use of symbolism is also prevalent, with the hatchet representing Brian's tool for survival and growth throughout the story. Additionally, the theme of the power of the human spirit and inner strength in the face of adversity is emphasized through Brian's experiences.
In the end, Brian's time in the wilderness teaches him valuable lessons about himself and the world around him. He learns to appreciate the simple things in life, to overcome his fears, and to find the strength within himself to endure and thrive in even the most challenging of circumstances. Brian emerges from his ordeal stronger and more self-assured, with a newfound sense of resilience and resourcefulness that will serve him well in the future.