Page 108 - Hatchet

DISCUSSION TOPICS
• Brian Robeson is haunted by “The Secret” about his mother. Discuss why he hasn’t told his father about his mother’s affair. How does keeping “The Secret” make him feel guilty? Explain Brian’s feelings toward his mother at the beginning of the novel when she takes him to the airport. How is his indifference toward her related to “The Secret”? Why is “The Secret” less important to Brian by the end of the novel?
• When Brian’s mother makes reference to his father, Brian reacts by thinking, “Not ‘my father.’ My Dad.” How might Brian explain the difference between a “dad” and a “father”? Why is the difference so important to him?
• Discuss how Brian uses information that he has learned from movies and specials on public television to understand the animals in the wild. How does this knowledge contribute to his survival? What does Brian mean when he says that his knowledge is “tough hope”?
• Immediately following the crash, Brian has hope that someone will rescue him by late night. At what point does he begin to give up hope that he will be found? There are times when Brian suffers from great despair. How does he deal with these dark moments?
• Brian once had an English teacher who encouraged his students to “get motivated.” He told them, “You are your most valuable asset. Don’t forget that. You are the best thing you have.” How does this message give Brian courage when he is alone in the wilderness? Describe how Brian learns to depend on his own ingenuity.
• In spite of Brian’s bad luck, he does feel that he has some good luck. Describe his first good luck moment. What is his ultimate good luck? Discuss how Brian’s experiences in the wilderness might change the way he deals with bad luck in the future.
• Brian is at times overcome with fear. Discuss how fear is both helpful and harmful to Brian. How does he learn to deal with fear? At what point does he learn not to fear the animals, but to share the woods with them?
• Explain the following statement: “[T]he two things, his mind and his body, had come together . . . had made a connection with each other that he didn’t quite understand.” How does this connection play a role in his survival? Discuss how this connection might guide him throughout life.
• Brian is alone in the Canadian wilderness for fifty-four days. After four days in the woods, Brian feels that “he had died and been born as the new Brian.” Think about Brian’s return. Describe the new Brian from the point of view of himself, his mother, his father, and his friends.
• Brian keeps a mental journal of his experiences so that he might share them with his father. What are the mistakes that he records in his mental journal? Describe his best memories.
• After the tornado exposes the tail of the sunken plane, Brian dives into the water and retrieves the survival kit that the pilot carried. He finds food, matches, and other things that make his survival easier. There is also a rifle. How does the rifle change Brian? Why doesn’t he like the change?