Hatchet tells the story of Brian, a young boy who survives a plane crash that leaves him alone in the wilderness in Canada. Through internal conflict, external forces working against him, and with the help of his hatchet, Brian learns to survive on his own. Paulsen breaks down the different types of conflict and helps his readers better understand how a small event can affect the larger plot of a story.
Flashbacks are a popular literary technique for writers to use when starting a story in medias res (in the middle of things), to add drama or suspense, or to fill the reader in on important information.
Literary Devices in Hatchet by Gary Paulsen | Have students identify and illustrate the different literary devices they find while reading!
Storyboard Text
FLASHBACK
FORESHADOWING
MOOD
Brian flashes back to "the secret," when he and his friend were riding bikes, and Brian saw his mom in a strange car with a strange man. This was before the divorce.
Should the reader wonder why this particular gift might be symbolic? It turns out to be the thing that allows Brian to survive after the plane crash.
From the very start, Brian's attitude is one of glum resentment. He is overwhelmed by his parents' divorce, his mom's "secret," and having to see his dad only during "visitations."