The book “The Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen is about a boy named Brian Robeson who gets stranded in the wilderness after the plane he is in crashes. Thirteen year old Brian was flying to Canada to see his father when the pilot of the plane had a heart attack and gave Brian no other option but to try to land it. After crash landing it in a lake, Brian gains necessary survival skills and learns to cope with difficult feelings mentally and dangers physically. He eats many different types of things that are not so good, like gut cherries, and better ones, like raspberries. There were also good times, like when he made a spear and learned to catch birds, fish, and rabbits, and bad times when his shelter was destroyed when a tornado hit. Eventually, after being in the wilderness for 54 days, he gets rescued and continues on with his life.
Self-reliance helps one finish things successfully and effectively, and increases positive feelings about oneself. Being self-reliant means being able to do something or achieve something on your own. In the Hatchet, Brian, who gets stranded in the wilderness, becomes self-reliant throughout the story. First, after the pilot had the heart attack, Brian was all alone in the plane, tried to land it, and did it in a way that he survived, which shows how he is able to manage a few things by himself. Then, as he starts realizing that he is trapped in the wilderness, he learns to build a shelter, make a fire, hunt for food, and most of all, keep himself alive. He used his instincts and self-reliance skills to keep progressing forward. This clearly tells us the importance of self-reliance. Being self-reliant gives one the ability to learn new things as well. Even though it might be difficult when first trying to be self-reliant, since one won’t necessarily have the skills, practice and perseverance are things that propel one forward. Self-reliance helps one finish things effectively and gives them a sense of positive pride.
Perseverance gives one the ability to reach their goals successfully. Many times when someone tries to achieve or do something, it is usually hard to do so. There could be many obstacles and hardships they have to experience on the way. In the Hatchet, the main difficulty Brian faced was being stranded and not knowing if he would survive or not. At first, even though he might feel pity for himself, Brian kept going and tried to find food, build a shelter, make a fire, etc. When he couldn’t find food, he searched everywhere and thought of anywhere where there could be food, and he eventually found the berries. Also, after many desperate attempts, he finally managed to light the fire. This shows us to always persevere and try to reach one’s goals no matter what is in the way. It’s always better to try than not to try at all, since there might always be success. Perseverance helps give motivation to one as well, knowing that there is always a chance of something good happening and reaching one’s goals. Perseverance is the motivation to continue during hard times.
Staying positive and optimistic during hard times helps one keep a clear mind and be able to continue on. Having positive thinking means thinking that everything is going to turn out well and have good results in the end. In the Hatchet, Brian learns through his fears and learns to think positively. In the beginning, Brian was hopeless, frustrated, and full of self-pity. Then, he recalls his English teacher, who always tells him to stay positive and motivate himself. Then, he encounters the porcupine, where he kicks his leg into the quills, causing him to feel pain and despair. Then, he realized that he had no time to feel self-pity, and that he just had to deal with it. Along with some other extreme encounters, Brian learns to stay positive and motivate himself. This clearly shows us the importance of staying optimistic and positive. There is no time for self-pity during hard times, and it is necessary to keep a clear mind. It’s simply the rule of survival, to never feel self-pity, frustration, or hopelessness. Having a clear mind helps one think and find solutions to problems as well. Staying positive and motivating oneself helps one be able to continue on.
Self-reliance, perseverance, and staying positive are all necessary survival skills. Self-reliance helps one be able to successfully achieve or finish things. In the Hatchet, Brian learned to be able to do things by himself, like building a shelter, finding food, and making a fire. He used previous knowledge to do so, while also learning to do new things. Perseverance helps one reach their goals successfully. In the book, Brian persevered in finding food and making fire, so he eventually succeeded in doing so. Staying positive and optimistic during hard times helps one be able to continue on and think of solutions. In the Hatchet, Brian stayed positive by motivating himself with what his English teacher used to tell him, which was to always stay positive and motivate yourself. Also, after the encounter with the porcupine, the moose, and the tornado, Brian finally learned the importance of staying positive.
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