Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

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Question/Section #2 Why and how are these strategies creative? Do these strategies correspond with stages of development mentioned in the textbook?

Every one of the prior examples shows the creativity of the book. Mostly by allowing the audience reading to use their imagination. This relates to the overall stages of development in the book's plot. As the story progresses, Brian (the main character) becomes less and less like his former self; becoming a more “simple” person. Before the crash while he was in civilized life, he had many small things to worry about in his daily life. Although Brian's past is not explained that well, we all know from experience we all have a tremendous amount of smaller responsibilities, as well as the big ones. But as the story progresses, Brian's worry's become more and more simple; where is his next meal coming from? How can he make his shelter sturdy? What does he do for protection? A specific example of a lost concern is the “Secret” he knows about his mother. At the beginning of the book, Brian's main focus is the fact that he is fairly certain of his mother's infidelity. As the book continues, that worry more or less goes to the back of his mind, in place of the more day-to-day worries of survival.

This is almost parallel to the unusual circumstances we have to imagine through the course of the book. In the introduction, Brian is still very much a “city person” and not who he is at the end of the book. As the story continues, the unusual environments introduced allow for more imagination to be used by us, the readers. Most of us can imagine the inside of a plane from experience (as described in the beginning), but not many of us can say we've been in the pure, untamed wilderness, alone. The f...

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...ching a foolbird for food, he is delighted with himself. He also has moral dilemmas as well. He is unsure whether or not he should reveal his mother's infidelity to his father if he gets home. Also, since Brian is the only real main character throughout the book, the characterization is centrally focused on him, allowing for more detail and creativity. If the book had more than one main character, the detail might be skipped on Brian somewhat, which would make him less of a fleshed-out character. By having just one, the bulk of the book is spent describing Brian and his story, allowing for a much tighter focus. Brian is a well characterized fictional person who, most importantly, is relatable (aside from his scenario). As a person, he is typical, but the creativity of the book allows to see his inner thoughts and actions, which make up a more detailed protagonist.

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