25 Hatchet Quotes About Overcoming Fear And Survival

Get aligned with your survivalist nature with our Hatchet quotes. 

Hatchet is a classic novel many children read in elementary or middle school. 

The story in Hatchet authentically narrates the extreme means we must overcome to survive in nature.

Find out why millions of readers love this tale with our Hatchet quotes below. 

What is Hatchet about?

Hatchet tells the story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson.

His parents recently divorced, sent him on a flight to visit his father, and his plane crashed on the way.

Brian survives the crash but must survive alone in the wilderness. 

You can read more of Brian Roberson’s adventures in the following Gary Paulsen novels: 

• The River
• Brian’s Winter
• Brian’s Return 
• Brian’s Hunt

The underlying story of Hatchet

On the surface, Hatchet is the story of how Brian must survive a plane crash and months in the wilderness alone. 

Aside from the challenging physical conditions, Brian must contend with knowledge of his parent’s recent divorce. 

He is aware of his mother’s infidelity and must contend with holding, processing, and sharing this information. 

The plane crash symbolizes how Brian’s entire world has crashed and burned. 

His parent’s divorce turns his family upside down.

He must navigate through feelings of betrayal and loyalty while contending with his immediate survival.

That is a lot of pressure for a thirteen-year-old. 

Brian and the Secret

For some people, keeping secrets is easy. 

For others, it is impossible. 

For children, secrets are a gray area. 

As a youth, it can be confusing trying to determine which secrets to share and which to hold on to.

Brian is seeking to survive in extreme conditions. 

He is alone and has nobody to talk to.

However, since his thoughts weigh heavy, he would not want to share his observations with someone else anyway. 

In the novel, we get some closure about what Brian did with the Secret. 

Paulsen notes, “Brian tried several times to tell his father, came really close once to

doing it, but in the end never said a word about the man or what he knew, the Secret.”

To learn more, check out our Hatchet quotes below. 

Short Hatchet quotes from the classic novel

Paulsen’s novel is full of action and adventure. Here are some of the best short quotes from Hatchet. 

1. “I am full of tough hope.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 127

2. “You are the best thing you have.” — Mr. Perpich, Hatchet, pg 51

3. “Long tears, self-pity tears, wasted tears.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 70

4. “A flip of some giant coin and he was the loser.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 157

5. “Clouddown, Clouddown through that awful night.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 122

The best Hatchet quotes about being lost and found

Brian’s time lost alone in the wilderness teaches him about how strong he is. Sometimes we have to get get to be found. 

6. “You’re him, aren’t you? You’re that kid!” — Bush plane pilot, Hatchet, p 191

7. “Damn. You’re him, aren’t you? You’re that kid.” — Bush plane pilot, Hatchet, p 191

8. “They quit looking, a month, no, almost two months ago.” — Bush plane pilot, Hatchet, p 191

9. “They would not return. He would never leave now, never get out of here.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 117

10. “Forty-two days, he thought, since he had died and been born as the new Brian.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 122

Memorable Hatchet quotes about remembering your power

Check out these inspirational Hatchet quotes.

11. “Fire. The hatchet was the key to it all.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 85

12. “You are your most valuable asset. Don’t forget that.” — Mr. Perpich, Hatchet, pg 51

13. “If you keep walking back from good luck, he thought, you’ll come to bad luck.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 40

14. “All flying is easy. Just takes learning. Like everything else. Like everything else.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 5

15. “If his mother hadn’t begun to see him and forced the divorce, Brian wouldn’t be here now.” — Gary Paulsen, Hatchet, pg 61

The top iconic quotes from Hatchet

Here are some of the novel’s most memorable lines. 

16. “I have a friend named Fire.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 92

17. “No, not secrets so much as just The Secret.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg  3

18. “It made sense. Glide down, then slow the plane and hit.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 23

19. “Inside there was a hatchet, the kind with a steel handle and a rubber handgrip.” — Gary Paulsen, Hatchet, p. 8

20. “I have a friend, he thought. I have a friend now. A hungry friend, but a good one.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 92

Hatchet quotes about rising to the occasion

Let’s close our collection with these fabulous quotes from Hatchet. 

21. “He focused on the pilot and thought: Have rest. Have rest forever.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 160

22. “So much of this was patience; waiting and thinking and doing things right.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg 145

23. “Two things, his mind, and his body, had come together as well, had made a connection.” — Gary Paulsen, Hatchet, pg 105

24. “It was a strange feeling, holding the rifle. It somehow removed him from everything around him. He wasn’t sure he liked the change very much.” — Gary Paulsen, Hatchet, pg 186

25. “What he knew and had not told anybody, what he knew about his mother that had caused the divorce, what he knew, what he knew. The Secret.” — Brian, Hatchet, pg  3

Using your tools effectively

Brian realizes the hatchet his mother left for him is the key to his survival. 

The hatchet is a literal and symbolic tool he needs to summon his inner power. 

Each of us has different tools in our toolkits of life. 

Which one will you use to reach your full potential?

Do you have any other favorite Hatchet quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.