: Brian’s parents have recently divorced, because of his mother’s secret affair. He is now torn between living with his mother during the school year and his father during the summer. He boards a plane headed to the Canadian north woods to visit his father for the summer, but ends up on an adventure of a lifetime. The pilot begins to experience pain in his shoulder, arm and stomach which lead to a heart attack. The attack stops and the pilot is dead, therefore, leaving Brian in charge of the plane.
He is terrified as he takes control of the small aircraft and is forced to land the plane alone. However, the plane crashes into a lake in the Canadian woods and it is there that Brian’s adventure begins. Injured from the crash, Brian begins to hope that he will soon be rescued. He falls asleep, but awakens to find himself alone, hungry and in pain.
He begins to search for food and finds a raspberry patch, where he spots a bear. Brian then makes a shelter for himself, where he is attacked by a porcupine. He then pulls over 100 quills out of his leg and is left in severe pain. Brian attempts to build a fire by striking his hatchet against a stone to create sparks. He is eventually successful and is able to keep predators away.
One day a plane flies over, but he is not seen. This lives Brian in a state of despair and attempts to commit suicide by cutting himself. He survives and then decides to embrace his circumstances. He begins to learn survival skills on his own by creating a spear to catch fish. After his first fish, he enjoys a big feast. He later perfects his tool making and kills his first bird.
The Essay on Hatchet Brian Plane Lake
... back just outside the main braces" (P. 28). Brian and the plane both ended up at the bottom of the lake ... on the beach with soreness and pain. Brian knew that he was out of luck. Brian sat and slept against a tree ... that this was a sign of a major heart attack. " And now a jolt took him like a hammer ... flight the pilot seemed to be having trouble with pain in his arm and side. Little did he know ...
While cleaning the bird, he is attacked by a moose. This results in injuries to his shoulder and ribs. That evening a tornado rips through the woods and destroys Brian’s shelter. After the tornado, Brain discovers that the tail of the plane has emerged from the lake.
He is reminded of the survival pack that remains in the plane and attempts to retrieve it. After many tries he succeeds and heads back to his shelter for some sleep. He opens the pack that contains many useful items, including freeze-dried food. He begins to cook the food when a plane lands on the lake to rescue him..
