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Hatchet
Trailblazers · 4th–6th
Yet he had and he hung on the raft for a moment and felt sorry for himself. For his own stupidity. But as before, the self-pity didn't help and he knew that he had only one course of action.
Read the passage aloud. Why might the middle sentence be so short?
Narration Tell the chapter back in order: the hunt for a way into the plane, the dropped hatchet, the dives, the bag, and the long haul to shore.
1. Brian says "Nothing is easy," and a moment later the plane's skin gives under his fist. What might that show about how he judges things?Inference
2. Brian dives for the hatchet until his lungs are "ready to explode." Was that wise, or too big a risk?Moral reasoning
3. The end of the second dive is told in three sentences from the grab to the surface, and the last runs very long. Why might Paulsen write it that way?Author's choice
4. Brian realizes the fish he has been eating "had to eat, too." How might that change the way he sees the lake?Theme
5. The chapter ends with "He had done it" for the third time. What does the repeating do for you as a reader?Tone
Make a Connection Tell about a time you made a mistake you thought you were past making.
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For his own stupidity.
the self-pity didn't help
cursing himself
pushing the stale air out
until he wheezed
an awful tangled mess
then surging again and again
screamed in horror
1. Brian is afraid of being trapped in the tail, yet he goes in. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what changes his mind.
2. Brian searches for the bag underwater with his feet. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how he finds it.
3. Brian gets the bag to the raft and the raft to shore. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how hard that last part is.