Hatchet Character Analysis Essay

Gary Paulsen’s novel, “Hatchet” introduces us to the protagonist, Brian, a young boy facing an amazing challenge. Brian’s character evolves over the course of the novel from an overwhelmed little boy to becoming a mature man.

At the beginning of the novel, the best word to describe Brian’s personality or character is panicked. For example When the pilot of the plane has a heart attack and dies, Brian experiences “a terror so intense that his breathing, his thinking, and nearly his heart had stopped” (Passage A). In this opening episode, Brian fears keeps him from moving, both physically and mentally. During his initial panic, Brian has trouble making decisions and taking actions that could save his life, and he feels isolated and alone. Such panic will not help Brian in his fight for survival. Another example is, “what he saw and that was worse, so much worse that he wanted to make his mind freeze” (passage A). All that I have to say is in this episode Brian is still experiencing everything around him.

I can give you an example of why I believe this to be true is, “The smell was one of Rot, some musty rot that made him think only of grave with cobwebs and dust and old death” (Passage C). What I’m saying about this passage is that Brian is realizing and experiencing what is going and happening to him with all the smell, hunger, pain, and sadness. Brian is still in the rising there is still no food or water so it’s still in the rising. For example, “I can’t take this way, alone with no fire and in the dark, and next time it might be something worse, maybe a bear, and it wouldn’t be just quills in the leg, it would be worse” (Passage C). In this passage I feel like Brian is scared and sad all at once. I say this because he is afraid a bear or something bad will find him and kill him. The reason he is sad is because he is all alone in an area he doesn’t