Chapter 15 · Hatchet

Copywork

He had been looking for feathers, for the color of the bird, for a bird sitting there. He had to look for the outline instead, had to see the shape instead of the feathers or color, had to train his eyes to see the shape...

Read the passage aloud. What happens to the things Brian looks for from the first sentence to the second?

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in order: measuring time in events, craving meat, the foolbirds, the day of First Meat, the cleaning and cooking, and the first bite.

Brian says a day is nothing, but events are burned into his memory. Why might he keep time that way? Character
The foolbirds nearly drive Brian insane, and it is "almost insulting" how they hide. Why do you think they get under his skin so much? Tone
After the hunt Brian gives the insides to the fish and saves the long wing and tail feathers. What does that show about how he thinks now? Inference
Brian decides to eat the bird even though it is "black on the outside and hard and hot." Was that patience running out, or good sense? Moral reasoning
Paulsen ends by listing every food Brian ever loved before saying he never tasted anything finer. Why might he make the list so long? Author's choice

Make a Connection Tell about a time you finally learned to see something differently after trying and failing.

Vocabulary

outline: He had to look for the outline instead The line that shows the shape of something.
train: had to train his eyes to see the shape To teach by practice.
intent: it left him intent on getting meat Firmly set on doing something.
exasperated: They exasperated him Made him very annoyed.
camouflage: their camouflage was so perfect Colors that help hide something.
streamlined: in a streamlined bullet shape to the fat body Smooth and shaped to move easily.
stabilize: without feathers to stabilize it To keep steady.
fragile: the skin was so fragile that it pulled off Easily broken or torn.
patience: So much of this was patience Calm waiting without giving up.

Critical thinking

Brian gives up on the bow for the birds. Using two pieces of evidence, explain why it does not work there.
Brian finally gets close enough to a bird. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he does with the spear.
Brian cooks the bird over the fire. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what goes wrong and how he fixes it.