The River Essay

The River

Brian Robeson returns from the award-winning novel Hatchet, in The River. He survived for fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness alone with just a hatchet. In Brians Winter, he spent another big chunk of time in the same place, with a hatchet, a survival pack containing a malfunctioning signaling device, and a more subdued narrator who pretty much let Brian tell the story-the continuing story, since Brians Winter, began just before Hatchet ended, and was based on the premise that the hero hadn't been rescued after all. Now, in The River, Brian is asked to go back to the wilderness a second time and do it all over again. Gary Paulsen wrote The River as the sequel to Hatchet. Only later did he change and lengthen the original story by writing Brians Winter, in response to readers who were still not satisfied. Hatchet is a great story except for its peachiness. Brians Winter, is a great story, period-although it is not for the sensitive. The River, which 'happens after' both of the others, is comparable to Hatchet but not as good as Brians Winter.

Why is it comparable to Hatchet? There are many reasons, and they sort of even out. On the minus side, it is slower in starting. Some government men come to Brian's house to ask him and his mother if he will venture into the wilderness again, this time with a government psychiatrist who wants to observe the way he responds to the stresses of life in 'survival mode'. Apparently something is missing from the government's program for training people to survive in the wilderness: they are learning the practical skills but not the appropriate mental responses, and out of all those who have ever found themselves stranded as Brian was only he has ever survived for nearly two months (or over four months), if you have already read Brians Winter. Of course he wants to do it; of course his mother lets him; and of course something goes seriously wrong. Brian's thoughts about both journeys and the change he undergoes the moment he steps off of the plane are well and clearly portrayed, as is his growing friendship with Derek, an honestly curious person who is open to all that Brian can teach him.

Their first night out-although not scary-is as miserable as anything in Hatchet. But after that everything becomes pretty routine until disaster strikes, which fortunately does occur quite soon! And thereafter it's a matter of problem-solving followed by one long period of suspense as Brian undertakes a perilous journey to save Derek's life. So, the best part of The River (which is a part called "The River"), even though the longest, first, part has no name; the shortest, last part is called "Measurements" is as exciting as anything in Hatchet. It's just not terribly long, whereas Hatchet was mostly one exciting disaster after another. But on the plus side, no preaching breaks up the suspense. Brian, and Brian alone, keeps forcing himself to face reality, without any narrator intervening.

Brian Robeson survived the wilderness on his own with nothing but a hatchet. The government comes to his door asking him to do it again. This time its planned so he can show his tips of survival. When he did it the first time, it was because of a plane that had crashed while he was in it. Derek Holtzer was the man from the government elected to go with Brian this time. Derek and Brain think they have everything going just fine. They have a shelter built and they have been finding tons of berries to eat. A storm then comes and Derek gets struck by lightning. He had the radio in his hand. That is what drew the electricity to him. Derek is out cold and the emergency radio is fried. Brian had to drag Derek to the raft. They took the river the whole way home. Derek had opened his eyes and exited his coma as they pulled up to the dock. I liked this book because I love reading about survival. My favorite scene was when they made it back to home and they celebrated the second time Brian survived in the wilderness.

In the end, Brian does get to go home after his second survival story and experience. I think that Brian should become a professional survival teacher. He would be a great teacher because of the two amazing survival experiences he went through. He knows how to get in the forest through his mind and body and gets to be one with the forest. Brian talks about how he is like an animal not a human in the forest. He talks about how he can communicate with animals with body language. Brian would be a great teacher and would most likely help people survive in the wilderness with his help.