Themes
What is a theme?
What is the moral lesson of the story or the lesson the author is trying to teach.
What are the 3 main challenges that Brian faces after he survives the plane crash?
What are food, shelter, and pain?
What survival skill did Mr. Perpish teach Brian?
What is "think positive"?
In the beginning of the novel, Brian is negatively affected by the Secret. How does Brian's attitude toward the secret change as the story develops?
What is Brian tries to think positive and stay focused on what he needs to do to survive?
What is the Secret that Brian is worried about during the beginning of the story?
What is his mom and dad divorced because his mom cheated on his dad?
In a few chapters, Brian has to constantly collect wood for the fire, food to eat, and has to make a smoke signal with the fire. Which theme is the author developing?
What is "Staying on top of things"?
How does Brian eventually respond to the annoying mosquitoes?
What is by learning to make a fire and using the smoke to keep them away?
What survival skills does Brian use to build the fire?
What are Brian uses resources from the environment and critical thinking skills to get the fire started?
How does Brian's attitude towards survival change from the beginning of the story to Chapter 14?
What is Brian becomes more confident in his ability to survive as he learns from his mistakes?
What interesting thing happens while Brian is picking raspberries away from the cave?
What is Brian sees a bear and becomes scared before running away?
Brian's English teacher taught him to always think positive. Based on the novel, why doesn't self pity work?
What is self pity doesn't work because the problem still exists?
What challenge that Brian faces helps him with food, protection, and shelter?
What is Brian is challenged to make a fire?
Which survival skill does Brian use to try to capture the attention of the plane?
What is Brian uses a fire signal to attract the attention of passing planes?
How does Brian's attitude change towards his hatchet from the beginning until now?
What is Brian doesn't care about the hatchet in the beginning of the novel, but quickly learns how useful the hatchet is for his survival?
In the novel the fire is very important to Brian. What benefits does the fire provide for Brian?
What are heat, protection from mosquitoes and predators, smoke signal, and to cook food?
How does Gary Paulsen develop themes in the novel?
What are by using descriptive details, flashbacks, Brian's thoughts and actions and showing how Brian responds to challenges?
Which challenge did Brian face led to him being unable to walk?
What is Brian gets stuck by a porcupine in the cave?
How does Brian stop "staying on top of things" after the plane leaves?
What is Brian lets the fire go out and doesn't eat any eggs?
How does Brian change after his suicide attempt?
What is Brain changes his mindset, becomes more confident, and develops tough hope?
What happens to Brian and the eggs that he stored in the cave in Chapter 14?
What is the skunk sprays Brian which blinds him and eats the eggs that hid underground?
What is the central theme of chapter 16 after Brian survives the moose and tornado incidents?
What is "Be prepared, things can change in one day"?
How does Brian respond to the Moose and Tornado attacks?
What is Brian focuses on rebuilding the shelter, making a fire, finding food and wood, and making weapons?
How does Brian solve his raft problem?
What is Brian selects tree logs that have vines that he weaves to together to make the raft?
In chapter 13, “Forty- two days, he thought, since he had died and been born as the new Brian”.
What does this quote actually mean?
What is the old Brian that has self-pity on himself is dead, and the new Brian shows tough hope and confidence?
Based on chapters 16 and 17, how has Brian show he has learned lessons of survival?
What is Brian continues to learn from his mistakes, stay focused on survival, remember survival lessons from the past, and plan for the future?