Hatchet – Week 3

Brian is proud of himself for the fire that he has managed to build and maintain! Having a fire means that he can stay warm, and hopefully even attract some attention for a rescue! He builds a huge bonfire, ready to be fired at a moment’s notice. Now he must tackle the issue of food and sustenance while he awaits a rescue. Unsure of how long he will have to wait, he begins to fashion tools that he can use while he is in the wilderness. He can continue to drink from the lake and he can eat the berries while they last, but he knows that that they will not be around forever. One night while he is sleeping, he hears a scuffling noise from outside, and upon investigation in the morning, he finds a small nest of eggs that have been deposited by a turtle. While the thought of eating something raw disgusts him, he is so hungry, he knows that he has to get something inside him soon. He eats a couple of the eggs, and it takes the edge off the hunger that he is facing. Then another thought hits him, the LAKE! The lake is sure to be full of fish and other food. He becomes excited and he begins to fashion something to capture the fish, but no matter how hard he tries, they seem to always get away from him. He finally decides to build a bow and arrow to shoot the fish, but he has forgotten the light reflection and his aim is off.

He also has to build better shelter. The one he has is okay for a few days, but with not knowing how long he is going to be there, he must construct something that is a little more durable, and can keep out the critters and also find a way to store food that will be safer than burying it in the ground, as he has unfortunately discovered. But now he begins to build a enclosure to keep the fish closer to the shore.

This week we are reading Chapters 10-14

Questions:

1. Do you think Brian had a good idea to keep a bonfire ready to attract attention to his location?
2. Brian has learned the hard way on what will happen when other forest critters find his food stash. How can he fix this?
3. Do you think he is coping okay with the situation that he is in?