What are some symbols in the book hatchet?
Symbols
- The Hatchet. When Brian leaves for Canada, his mother gives him a hatchet to use during his summer in the Canadian woods with his father.
- The Plane. The plane has a complex and contradictory symbolic role, in that it represents an ending and a beginning, and contains both death and life.
- The Rifle.
What does hatchet symbolize?
The hatchet represents civilization and the role of tools in surviving. For Brian the hatchet also comes to symbolize ingenuity, autonomy, and personal survival.
What possessions does Brian have in hatchet?
Fire is a possession that Brian appropriates. Fire is his “only friend” in the wild. It also serves as a means of keeping the mosquitoes away, providing warmth, and cooking food. Once he acquires the survival pack, he obtains a slew of belongings, such as a first- aid kit and a rifle.
What does the fire symbolize in the hatchet?
Fire. Fire symbolizes Brian’s ability to both differentiate himself from the animals around him and sustain himself in a hostile environment. Learning to build a fire is such an important part of the new life Brian builds that Paulsen devotes an entire chapter to it.
What mistake did Brian make in the use of his hatchet?
Brian constructs a raft and swims to the tail of the plane, where he uses the hatchet to cut into the aluminum. As Brian attempts to bend a piece of the aluminum, he drops the hatchet in the water. He immediately recognizes his mistake and recalls how important the hatchet has been to his survival.
What effect did eating so many berries have upon Brian hatchet?
Brian gets a stomach ache from eating too many berries. One of Brian’s first concerns when he finds himself the only survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness is where to find food. Brian has only a hatchet and some clothing.
How does Brian finally make his fire?
In Chapter 9 of Hatchet, Brian works on his fire. He tries to use the twenty dollar bill as kindling, starter fuel for fire, but it does not work. This almost works, but Brian realizes that he needs to increase the oxygen on the fire by blowing on the sparks. This works and Brian finally has his fire.