Guts

Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books (2001) is a work of nonfiction by Gary Paulsen. In the book, Paulsen recounts the real-life stories that inspired him to write the Brian’s Saga books, from plane crashes to working as an emergency volunteer. Paulsen has rich life experiences to bring to fiction—he ran away from home at fourteen to join a traveling circus and raced in the Alaskan dog sled race, the Iditarod. Guts was a nominee for both the 2003 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award and the 2007 Lincoln Award.

Part of the Brian’s Saga series, Hatchet, one of Paulsen’s best-known novels, follows thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson who is in a plane crash over Northern Canada and must learn to survive with nothing but a hatchet. Brian endures daily threats and storms, including a tornado, but he learns to hunt, build a shelter and craft. He finally gets help by using his own initiative. However, Hatchet isn’t entirely a work of fiction—Paulsen’s own experiences gave him the material to bring the book to life.

In Guts, Paulsen recalls the plane crash he endured which became the inciting event in Hatchet. He explains how Brian has no choice but to swim free after trying to land the plane when the pilot dies of a heart attack; this was inspired by his own life. Paulsen worked as an emergency volunteer before becoming an author, and he has seen the devastation heart attacks can cause.

He recalls traversing great distances but not being able to save people because it takes so long to get to them. What’s striking about working as an emergency volunteer is how important it is to always have hope. Even when the odds are against survival, Paulsen has to believe that the next person will survive—and, sometimes, they do.

Before writing Hatchet, Paulsen saw the aftermath of a plane crash not unlike the one Brian experiences. This incident stuck with him, leaving him wondering what would happen if someone survived a crash like this but there was no one there to help him. He makes it even more complicated by using a young protagonist who has little life experience to help him.

Paulsen has lived through experiences similar to those that happen in the Brian books. For example, when he raced sled dogs, they were trapped in a storm. Rescued by plane, the dogs almost caused a crash because they were excitable and trapped in a small space. On another occasion, Paulsen has tried turtle eggs because he was curious about how they taste. He believes it’s important that we experience things for ourselves, instead of listening to what others say; as a result, he’s always looking for new experiences to try.

Although much of what Paulsen has endured is serious, he brings a comical touch to it, which makes the Brian books accessible to younger readers. For example, he describes a moose stampede, swarming mosquitos, and skunks that don’t give him any peace. It’s only by living through these experiences himself that Paulsen can bring raw emotion and true reactions to Brian’s character.

What’s important about surviving in the wilderness is learning how to adapt. Although Paulsen recalls making plenty of mistakes, he reiterates how important it is to learn from them and never make the same error twice if you’re lucky enough to survive. You can’t let fear consume you—you must believe you’ve got a chance.

Paulsen also explains how this survival instinct can be applied wherever you are—whether it’s the wilderness or simply walking down the street. If you end up in a dangerous situation, you should learn from it, and avoid the situation again. Wisdom is critical to our success and survival in life.

Brian must fashion tools, such as a bow and arrow, to hunt and defend himself. Paulsen has direct experience in making such tools, and Brian learns from mistakes just as he did. He recalls how difficult it is to hunt even with weapons, and how, again, you must learn by trial and error. It requires patience and attention to detail—carve the arrow wrong, and it won’t fly. Brian must learn all of this himself, and he makes many of the same mistakes Paulsen did.

Paulsen tries to communicate a message through both Guts and the Brian books. He’s concerned that children are losing the ability to think for themselves and explore the world because typical education is systemic and black-and-white. He believes there’s much to be learned outside of the classroom, and children are missing out on precious opportunities because their curiosities are discouraged. Traditional education prevents us from adapting to changing circumstances, which is exactly what we must do in real life.

Although Paulsen could no doubt write a survival book without experiencing the incidents first-hand, it was important to him that Brian’s dilemmas were as factually accurate as possible, and this is critical to communicating the underlying messages he seeks to deliver.