The Hatchet Analysis

Brian Robeson, a thirteen-year-old boy from New York City, is the only passenger on a small plane headed toward the oil fields of Canada to visit his father. Brian suffers greatly due to his parent’s recent divorce; it weighs heavily on him as does "The Secret" that his mother is having an affair with another man. Brian faces challenges internally with the word “divorce a tearing, ugly word that meant fighting and yelling.” He is very sensitive about the thought of his parents separating, “[I] felt [my] eyes beginning to burn and knew there would be tears.” While on his way to visit his dad, the pilot gives him a very brief flying lesson in which Brian has control of the plane for a few minutes. Though the pilot experiences immense pain in his shoulder, arm, and stomach throughout the flight. At first Brian does not think it is very serious, but as the pilot begins jerking in his seat it becomes clear
After a harrowing descent, the plane crashes into a lake in the Canadian woods, where Brian is stranded. The only tool he has is his hatchet that was given to him by his mother. Nevertheless, getting in a plane crash and being stranded on an island with scarcity of resources including food and clean water is the greatest challenge Brian faces externally. Brian’s internal conflict of being stranded on an island and not being capable of doing anything relates to my school year when I first moved to Canada. At that point in time, my English was dreadful and being the only “Asian” kid in the class didn’t benefit me much either. I have memories of being bullied because of my different physical characteristics and not being able to communicate with the teacher or any of my classmates. The first time going to school in Canada somewhat resembles Brian’s first survival experience in a stranded island because we both lacked the experience and knowledge of the