Hatchet
Chapter
Summary
Cards
By Gary Paulsen
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Hatchet: Chapter 1 Summary
! The%thirteen!year%old%main%character,%Brian%Robeson,%boards%a%plane%from%Hampton%
New%York%to%northern%Canada%to%visit%his%father.%%%
! He%begins%thinking%about%his%parent’s%recent%divorce%and%thinks%about%the%many%Cights%
they%had.%%He%also%thinks%about%something%he%refers%to%as%“The%Secret”,%which%the%reader%
is%unsure%about%at%this%point.%
! %%The%pilot%offers%to%let%Brian%Cly%the%plane,%and%he%eventually%does%for%a%few%minutes.%%The%
pilot%says%that%he%has%some%pain%in%his%shoulder%as%Brian%continues%to%think%about%the%
divorce.%%He%says%the%court%decided%that%Brian%would%live%with%his%mother%during%the%
year,%and%with%his%father%in%the%summer.%%The%plane%he%is%on%is%taking%him%to%visit%his%
father.%%%
! Brian%recalls%the%drive%to%the%plane%where%his%mother%tried%to%Cigure%out%what%was%wrong%
with%him,%but%he%did%not%want%to%reveal%that%he%knew%“The%Secret”%to%her.%%%During%the%
drive,%his%mother%gave%him%a%hatchet%to%use%in%the%woods,%which%he%attaches%to%his%belt.%%%
! He%is%brought%back%to%reality%when%he%realizes%that%the%pilot%is%having%a%heart%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
attack.%%The%pilot%eventually%dies,%and%Brian%is%terriCied%and%tries%to%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
determine%what%he%should%do
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Hatchet: Chapter 2 Summary
! Brian%is%in%complete%shock%as%he%realizes%he%must%take%control%of%the%airplane.%%He%
attempts%to%use%the%radio%to%contact,%but%loses%contact%before%he%can%give%any%pertinent%
information.%%%
! The%plane%engine%dies%and%he%is%forced%to%land.%%He%points%the%plane’s%nose%downward%
and%vomits.%%
Hatchet: Chapter 3 Summary
!
As%he%is%descending,%he%only%sees%trees%and%he%is%convinced%he%will%not%survive%the%
crash.%%He%sees%a%lake%and%isn’t%sure%he%can%make%it.%%%
!
The%plane%hits%the%trees%and%he%lands%in%the%lake.%%Brian%is%able%to%unbuckle%the%
seatbelt%and%swim%to%the%surface%of%the%water.%%%
!
When%he%reaches%the%shore,%he%passes%out%from%complete%exhaustion.
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Hatchet: Chapter 4 Summary
!
In%a%semi!conscious%state,%Brian%starts%to%remember%when%he%discovers%“The%Secret”.%%%He%
remembers%feeling%angry%and%shocked%when%he%saw%his%mother%in%a%car%with%a%man%he%did%not%
know.%%%
!
He%starts%to%regain%consciousness%and%realizes%where%he%is.%%He%is%in%a%great%deal%of%pain%and%he%falls%
asleep.%%When%he%wakes%up%he%realizes%how%lucky%he%is%to%be%alive.%%%
!
The%mosquitoes%swarmed%him%and%left%painful%bites%all%over%his%skin.%%Looking%around%and%realizing%
where%he%is,%he%falls%asleep%once%again.%%
Hatchet: Chapter 5 Summary
!
When&Brian&wakes&up&again,&he&is&very&thirsty&and&hungry,&so&he&drinks&from&the&lake.&&He&reassures&
himself&that&rescue&searchers&will&come&for&him.&&&
!
He&remembers&Mr.&Perpich,&his&old&English&teacher&explaining&the&importance&of&a&posiBve&aCtude,&so&
he&tries&to&keep&himself&from&falling&into&despair.&&&
!
Brian&remembers&that&he&had&bumped&the&wheel&while&reaching&for&the&pilot’s&headset,&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
which&rerouted&the&plane.&&He&panics&because&he&realizes&that&rescue&planes&may&not&find&him.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
He&realizes&he&must&calm&himself,&find&something&to&eat,&and&make&a&shelter.
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Hatchet: Chapter 6 Summary
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Brian%remembers%a%time%when%he%was%playing%in%the%city%park%with%his%
friend%Terry.%%They%pretended%they%were%lost%in%the%woods%and%had%to%
build%a%lean!to%shelter.%%%
!
This%helps%Brian%choose%a%good%location%to%build%one.%%He%Cinds%a%good%
area,%but%he%realizes%that%he%must%Cind%food%Cirst%because%he%is%incredibly%
hungry.%%%
!
Still%thinking%about%his%parent’s%divorce,%he%decides%he%will%tell%his%father%
“The%Secret”%if%he%sees%him%again.%%%
!
Brian%Cinds%some%berries%to%eat.%%He%begins%working%on%the%shelter,%but%
starts%to%feel%sick%from%eating%too%many%berries,%so%he%goes%to%sleep.
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Hatchet: Chapter 7 Summary
!
Brian%wakes%up%in%the%middle%of%the%night%dreaming%about%his%mother%and%
has%a%Clashback%of%her%kissing%the%strange%man.%He%is%very%sick%from%the%
berries%that%he%had%eaten%the%day%before.%%He%falls%back%asleep.%%%
!
When%he%wakes%up%in%the%morning,%he%goes%down%to%the%lake%and%sees%his%
reClection%in%the%water.%%He%sees%his%injuries%and%he%begins%to%cry.%%%
!
He%is%very%hungry%and%eats%more%berries,%but%tries%not%to%eat%as%many%for%
fear%of%being%sick%again.%%He%Cinds%a%raspberry%patch,%but%sees%a%bear%and%is%
terriCied.%%%
!
He%realizes%the%bear%does%not%want%to%hurt%him,%so%he%eats%some%berries%
and%saves%some%for%later.%%With%the%bear%in%mind,%he%keeps%his%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
hatchet%close%by%and%falls%asleep.%
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Hatchet: Chapter 8 Summary
!
In%the%middle%of%the%night,%Brian%realizes%that%something%is%in%his%shelter.%%He%throws%
the%hatchet%across%the%shelter,%but%then%feels%pain%spreading%throughout%his%leg.%%%
!
He%sees%that%he%has%been%attacked%by%a%porcupine%and%is%forced%to%pull%quills%out%of%
his%leg%one%by%one.%%He%cries,%but%then%realizes%that%self!pity%accomplishes%nothing%
and%does%not%help%him%survive.%%
!
%Falling%asleep%again,%Brian%dreams%that%his%father%and%Terry%appear%trying%to%tell%him%
something,%but%he%cannot%hear%them.%%%
!
Terry%lights%a%charcoal%Cire%and%looks%at%Brian.%%Brian%can’t%seem%to%make%sense%of%
these%dreams,%but%Terry%and%his%father%were%trying%to%explain%to%Brian%how%to%make%a%
Cire.%%%
!
While%striking%the%hatchet%against%a%stone%and%watching%the%sparks%Cly,%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Brian%realizes%he%can%use%the%hatchet%to%start%a%Cire.%
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Hatchet: Chapter 9 Summary
!
Brian%gathers%birch%bark%to%ignite%the%sparks%from%the%hatchet%hitting%the%
stone,%but%is%having%difCiculty%getting%the%Cire%started.%%%
!
Remembering%that%Cire%needs%oxygen%to%survive,%Brian%blows%on%the%small%
sparks%and%they%turn%into%a%Clame.%%%
!
He%is%successful%and%is%so%happy%to%know%that%the%Cire%will%help%protect%
against%animals%and%mosquitoes.%%%
!
Brian%wonders%what%his%parents%are%doing%at%that%moment%and%if%his%
mother%is%with%the%strange%man%he%had%seen%her%kissing.
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Hatchet: Chapter 10 Summary
!
Brian%takes%a%great%deal%of%comfort%from%the%Cire.%%He%spends%most%of%his%
time%there,%or%gathering%wood.%%%
!
He%is%woken%up%in%the%middle%of%the%night,%but%he%doesn’t%see%anything%in%
his%shelter,%so%he%goes%back%to%sleep.%%%
!
When%he%wakes%up%in%the%morning,%he%follows%tracks%down%to%the%lake.%%He%
Cinds%a%pile%of%turtle%eggs.%%%
!
He%realizes%that%these%eggs%would%provide%him%with%a%more%substantial%
kind%of%food%and%decides%to%eat%a%few.%%He%keeps%the%others%and%will%eat%one%
a%day.%%Brian%hopes%he%will%be%rescued%soon.
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Hatchet: Chapter 11 Summary
!
Brian%spends%time%cleaning%the%camp,%stacking%wood,%and%storing%the%eggs%
to%keep%himself%busy.%
!
%%When%he%looks%at%himself%in%the%lake,%he%can%see%how%much%he%has%
changed.%%%
!
More%signiCicantly,%he%notes%that%he%has%undergone%a%mental%
transformation.%%%
!
He%understands%his%surroundings%and%is%connecting%more%with%the%natural%
world.%%%
!
As%he%is%looking%out%over%the%beautiful%lake,%he%realizes%he%can%catch%Cish%
for%nourishment.%%He%sees%there%are%lots%of%Cish,%but%is%unable%to%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
catch%them%with%his%hands.%%He%concludes%he%needs%a%spear.
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Hatchet: Chapter 12 Summary
!
Brian%spends%a%great%deal%of%time%making%a%Cishing%spear,%but%he%is%still%
unable%to%catch%any%Cish.%%He%decides%a%bow%and%arrow%may%work%better.%%%
!
He%also%considers%catching%birds%for%food%as%well.%%%
!
At%that%moment,%a%plane%Clies%overhead%and%Brian%things%that%maybe%he%
will%be%saved.%%He%swings%his%arms%and%yells%and%attempts%to%make%a%signal%
Cire,%but%the%plane%passes%by%him.%%
!
%He%is%in%complete%despair%and%begins%to%lose%hope%of%seeing%his%family%
again.%
© Presto Plans
Hatchet: Chapter 13 Summary
!
While%searching%for%birds,%Brian%feels%that%there%is%a%creature%nearby.%%He%
sees%a%wolf%walking%up%a%hill%followed%by%three%others.%%%
!
After%the%plane%Clies%by%Brian%he%feels%so%defeated%that%he%attempted%
suicide%with%the%hatchet,%but%when%he%survives%he%determines%he%will%not%
let%death%tempt%him%again.%%%
!
It%is%at%this%point%that%Brian%starts%to%change.%%He%learns%to%catch%many%Cish%
by%accounting%for%the%refraction%of%light%underwater.%%%
!
Brian%does%not%think%he%has%a%good%chance%of%being%rescued,%but%believes%
he%can%survive%on%his%own%with%his%new%knowledge.%
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Hatchet: Chapter 14 Summary
!
A%skunk%comes%near%the%spot%where%the%turtle%laid%the%eggs.%%When%Brian%yells%at%the%skunk,%
he%reacts%by%spraying%him.%%%
!
Brian%is%blinded%by%the%spray,%and%runs%into%the%lake%to%wash%himself.%%The%skunk%also%eats%
the%eggs%he%had%on%the%shore.%%%
!
Brian%learns%that%he%must%make%a%stronger%shelter%and%keep%food%protected.%%He%spends%days%
improving%the%shelter,%but%still%struggles%to%Cind%food.%%%
!
He%decides%to%create%a%small%pond%to%keep%the%Cish%that%he%catches.%%
Hatchet: Chapter 15 Summary
!
Brian’s%measurement%of%time%is%based%on%the%events%that%happen%to%him.%%%
!
He%was%very%hungry%and%craved%meat.%%He%uses%the%spear%to%eventually%catch%a%bird.%%%
!
He%cleans%the%bird%which%is%much%more%work%than%he%initially%realized.%%Brian%constructs%
something%to%rotate%the%chicken%over%the%Clame%to%cook.%%Once%the%meat%is%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
cooked,%Brian%enjoys%his%meal.
© Presto Plans
Hatchet: Chapter 16 Summary
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Brian%recalls%some%of%the%major%events%that%have%occurred%since%the%crash.%%Some%include%
First%Arrow%Day%(when%he%constructed%his%Cirst%arrow),%or%First%Rabbit%Day%(when%he%killed%
his%Cirst%rabbit).%%%
!
While%washing%his%hands%in%the%lake,%he%senses%something%behind%him.%%He%turns%around%to%
see%a%huge%moose.%%%
!
The%moose%attacks%him%and%throws%him%into%the%water.%%Brian%hurts%his%ribs%and%his%
shoulder,%but%Cinds%his%way%back%to%the%shelter%and%go%to%sleep.%%%
!
He%wakes%up%in%the%middle%of%the%night%to%loud%sounds.%%A%tornado%comes%down%on%him%and%
slams%him%up%against%the%shelter%and%leaves%as%quickly%as%it%came.%%%
!
Brian’s%shelter%and%Cire%were%destroyed%and%he%is%amazed%at%how%much%things%have%changed%
in%one%day.%%He%goes%to%sleep,%but%will%rebuild%his%shelter%in%the%morning.%%%
!
When%he%looks%out%at%the%lake%he%sees%the%tail%of%the%airplane.%%He%thinks%about%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
the%dead%pilot%and%wishes%him%a%peaceful%rest.%
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Hatchet: Chapter 17 Summary
!
Brian%works%to%Cix%the%shelter%and%gather%more%Cirewood.%%He%lies%down%and%remembers%the%
survival%pack%that%the%pilot%mentioned.%%%
!
He%decides%he%will%try%to%Cind%it%on%the%next%day.%%He%wakes%up%and%decides%to%make%a%raft%to%cross%
the%lake.%%%
!
It%is%a%difCicult%task%to%build%and%move%the%raft,%but%Brian%works%tirelessly.%%Brian%returns%to%the%
shelter%for%rest.%%In%the%morning,%he%sets%out%for%the%plane.
Hatchet: Chapter 18 Summary
!
Brian%is%unable%to%access%the%inside%of%the%plane.%%He%hits%the%plane%with%his%Cist%and%an%aluminum%
cover%opens.%%He%cuts%through%the%rest%with%the%hatchet.%%%
!
As%he%is%hacking%away,%he%drops%the%hatchet%to%the%bottom%of%the%lake.%%After%a%few%tries%he%is%able%to%
retrieve%it.%%On%his%way%up,%he%sees%the%pilot’s%head,%its%Clesh%eaten%by%Cish.%%%
!
Brian%is%sick%in%the%water%and%after%freeing%the%pack%from%the%plane%makes%it%to%the%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
surface.%%He%brings%the%pack%back%to%the%shelter%and%immediately%falls%asleep%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
from%exhaustion.
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Hatchet: Chapter 19 Summary
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Brian%opens%the%survival%pack%and%Cinds%a%sleeping%bag%and%pad,%a%cook%set,%matches,%
lighters,%a%knife,%a%compass,%a%Cirst!aid%kit,%a%cap,%a%Cishing%kit,%and%freeze%dried%meals.%%%
!
When%he%Cinds%a%riCle%in%the%pack,%he%does%not%like%it%as%he%feels%it%disconnects%him%
from%the%natural%world.%%Although%he%realizes%that%life%would%be%easier%with%these%
new%tools,%he%has%become%accustomed%to%his%way%of%living.%%%%
!
%There%is%an%emergency%transmitter%in%the%pack,%but%he%is%unable%to%make%it%work.%%He%
prepares%one%of%the%meals%and%hears%the%engine%of%a%plane%above%him.%%%The%plane%
Clies%low%and%lands%on%the%lake.%%%
!
The%pilot%comes%out%and%says%he%received%a%signal%from%the%transmitter%and%knew%
that%searchers%were%looking%for%Brian.%%Brian%is%unable%to%understand%the%situation%
and%says%“My%name%is%Brian%Robeson…Would%you%like%something%to%eat”.%
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Hatchet: Epilogue Summary
!
Brian%later%learns%that%the%person%who%rescued%him%was%surveying%camps%as%a%
fur%buyer.%%%
!
Brian%lost%a%lot%of%weight%while%in%the%wilderness%and%stays%thin%for%years.%%
!
%Many%changes%he%made%while%stranded%remain%(thoughtfulness,%observant%
nature,%attention%to%food).%%%
!
Reporters%cover%his%story%for%a%short%period%of%time,%but%the%novelty%of%the%story%
wears%off%eventually.%%
!
Brian’s%parents%get%back%together%brieCly%when%he%returns,%but%soon%return%to%
their%own%separate%homes.%%%
!
Brian%decides%not%to%tell%his%father%about%“The%Secret”.%
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