Hatchet:By Gary Paulsen

Quote 1: "There had been many First Days.First Arrow Day—when he had used thread from his tattered old piece of windbreaker and some pitch from a stump to put slivers of feather on a dry willow shaft and make an arrow that would fly correctly. Not accurately—he never got really good with it—but fly correctly so that if a rabbit or a foolbird sat in one place long enough, close enough, and he had enough arrows, he could hit it"(pg.54, chapter 16) -Brian really doesn't know what he's doing most of the time—he's just making things up as he goes along, trying the solution that seems to have the best chance of success. And that means that most of what he achieves isn't perfect, just good. He has become more daring, open to trying new things, flexible and adaptible to help him survive.

 

Quote 2:"He had another half-second to fill his lungs with air and she was on him again, using her head to drive him down into the mud of the bottom. Insane, he thought. Just that, the word, insane. Mud filled his eyes, his ears, the horn boss on the moose drove him deeper and deeper into the bottom muck, and suddenly it was over and he felt alone […]So insane, he thought, letting sleep cover the pain in his chest—such an insane attack for no reason and he fell asleep with his mind trying to make the moose have reason."(pg.55, chapter 16) - Brian has achieved a certain sense of harmony with nature, the creatures and the forest around him can still totally throw him for a loop. He feels a need to try to explain the moose's behavior in a way that's familiar to his human understanding, but the best explanation he can come up with is that the moose was acting "insane."

 

Quote 3:"But there is a difference now, he thought—there really is a difference. I might be hit but I'm not done. When the light comes I'll start to rebuild. I still have the hatchet and that's all I had in the first place.Come on, he thought, baring his teeth in the darkness—come on. Is that the best you can do? Is that all you can hit me with—a moose and a tornado? Well, he thought, holding his ribs and smiling, then spitting mosquitoes out of his mouth. Well, that won't get the job done. That was the difference now. He had changed, and he was tough. I'm tough where it counts—tough in the head." (pg.57, chapter 16) - This is a different Brian than the person he was at beginning of the story. He doesn't grieve about his parents death anymore. He is not defeated by challenges and the new Brian makes a new plan to overcome the challenge. This shows his maturity and determination