Authors shape their texts using a range of narrative techniques and conventions designed to influence readers into engaging with the characters and action of their stories, and encourage readers to welcome their ideas, values and attitudes. In the novel Hatchet, author Gary Paulsen demonstrates three heavy themes to readers; the initiation into manhood; man and the natural world, and; contrasting regions. Paulsen positions readers to recognise his attitude towards these three prevalent themes in the story through the use of the protagonists characterisation, the symbolism of the wolf, and finally through he precise use of point of view.
Despite each reader being positioned differently in their understanding of a text as a result of their own context, Hatchet is a well known masterpiece due to the way Paulsen conveys his themes and demands a certain response from readers by putting his perspective into words that can be understood by all. The themes Paulsen chose to portray in Hatchet position adolescent readers, in particular, to connect with the main protagonist, Brian, on a emotional level.
Considering how Paulsen uses the wilderness to parallel the emotional and physical pains of coming-of-age and maturing, adolescent eaders are able to identify fully with the anger and confusion deep within Brian. Readers learn through the theme of initiation into manhood that the lessons Brian learns and qualities he adopts are relevant not only to wilderness survival, but also to life as a whole. The characterisation of Brian serves as a wonderful example to the significance of this theme for adolescent readers. It can be seen at the beginning of the novel that Brian demonstrates vulnerability, frustration, and anger.
However, after learning to survive in the wilderness, Brian discovers that patience, observation and appreciation for the atural world can lead to a newfound connection between mind and body “. and the two things, his mind and his body, had come together as well. Without his thinking, he moved to face the sound or the sight, moved to make ready for it, to deal with it. ” (page 102-103). This not only contributes to Brian’s character development, but also to his emerging manhood, such as it does to the adolescent readers own personal development.
Brian defines himself through his parents which is why their divorce presents Brian with deep pain and forces him to see instability in his future and to just accept that he will never feel atisfied with himself. The plane crash and the resultant stay in the wilderness force him to come to terms with this broken sense of identity. The challenge of survival alone leaves him to either grow up and be tough, or die. Brian accepts the challenge and emerges from it having experienced the responsibilities and pressures of adulthood.
Paulsen positions adolescent readers to feel as if they are in the same position as Brian so that they are able to develop the same qualities and responsibilities as he does to benefit them in their own lives. Paulsen writes not only of man’s struggle against nature in his ovel, Hatchet, but also of his capability to live in harmony with nature, demonstrating his love and respect for it. Through Brian’s communion with the animals, Paulsen positions readers to accept Brian as another level of the natural environment rather then a separate entity.
The way in which Paulsen gives Brian situations similar to those that animals would face, such as a constant search for food and staying safe from the elements and other animals, he allows both Brian and the readers to have a special affinity with the animals in the novel, such as the wolf. Through the symbolism of the wolf, Paulsen ortrays the theme of man and the natural world to readers allowing them to understand the true beauty of natural world. “Brian looked back and for a moment felt afraid because the wolf was so… o right. He knew Brian, knew him and owned him and chose not to do anything to him. But the fear moved then, moved away, and Brian knew the wolf for what it was – another part of the woods, another part of all of it. ” (page 117). Initially, readers can see that Brian has an unyielding fear of the wolf. However, this soon changed when he realised that it did not intend to harm him. This realisation enables Brian to establish a ort of trust with the animals in the woods and develop the ability to listen to his instincts.
Through Brian’s acceptance of the wolves power and beauty, readers see how Paulsen has used the wolf as a symbol of Brian’s new relationship with nature and his new sense of his own place in the natural world. In his novel Hatchet, Paulsen shows how both rural and urban life can have countless amounts of comparisons. Due to Brian’s roots being in the city and having spent his entire life in a urban environment, his adventure in the wilderness holds significant importance in the portrayal of the theme of contrasting regions.
Paulsen uses the narrative convention, third person omniscient point of view, to help readers understand what Brian is going through by telling of both his physical and emotional frame of reference. While Brian is familiar to the conveniences of an urban life, his experience in the natural world forces him to become completely self-sufficient. “It had always been so simple at home. He would go to the store and get a chicken and it was all cleaned and neat, no feathers or insides, and his mother would bake it in the oven and he would eat it.
His mother from the old time, from the time before, would bake it” (page 139), by sing flashbacks and giving readers a glimpse of what Brian’s life was like before the crash, and to then contrast it to his life in the woods, Paulsen is using point of view to allow readers to apprehend the harrowing conditions Brian has to endure. Paulsen uses third person omniscient in particular to give readers additional and essential information that Brian might not know or has not yet experienced himself so that the reader has all the necessary information needed to root for Brian’s survival.
Readers are positioned through the use of point of view so they are able to see Brian’s transformation and increased espect for nature, this is done so that all readers feel compelled to learn some of the qualities that Brian did so they are able to gain better respect for both themselves and the natural word. To influence and position readers to feel a certain way towards his chosen themes, Paulsen uses an array of narrative techniques and conventions in his novel Hatchet. Paulsen does this in order to persuade readers into welcoming his ideas, values and attitudes towards the three main themes.
Through using the characterisation of Brian to portray his attitude about the theme of initiation into manhood, Paulsen places dolescent readers in a position where they feel as if they in the same situation as Brian which allows them to develop similar qualities and responsibilities, only to benefit themselves. By using the symbolism of the wolf in illustrating the theme of man and the natural world, Paulsen positions readers to accept Brian as part of the wilderness and influences them to view Brian’s new relationship with nature and his new sense of identity as a growing and learning point for both Brian and the readers.
Finally, through using third person omniscient point of view, Paulsen shows readers how important the excess information iven by this type of perspective can be when regarding the contrasting regions of urban and rural life and how this theme allows for not only character transformation and development, but also the readers own personal transformation and development.
Paulsen’s range of conventions and techniques in Hatchet allow for readers to be positioned and influenced however he requires them to be in order to convince them that through perseverance and common sense, anyone can survive and thrive, “You are your most valuable asset. Don’t forget that. You are the best thing you have… ” (page 51).
