Hatchet Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter 1 Summary

Chapter 1 Summary

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father, a mechanical engineer in the oil fields of Canada, the summer following his parents' divorce. This is his first time flying in a single-engine Cessna 406 bush plane.

On their way to the airport, Brian's mother gives him a hatchet. It's outfitted with a steel handle and a rubber handgrip. The leather holder comes equipped with a loop for his belt. He doesn't want to wear it, but she is so insistent that he relents. The secret knowledge of his mother's infidelity has made him sullen and quiet. He ignores her when she asks him, what's wrong.

When he looks outside the small plane, Brian sees an ocean full of trees dotted with blue lakes. The pilot allows him to try the controls and fly the plane himself. At first, Brian is afraid but enjoys the experience once he...
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