Hatchet: Brian's Near-Injury with His First Bow - Analysis

In Gary Paulsen's novel _Hatchet_, Brian Robeson makes several mistakes with his newly crafted bow because he has difficulty judging distances. While shooting at a ruffed grouse in a spruce tree about fifteen feet high, Brian misjudges how high the arrow will go above the grouse, shoots the arrow directly into the branch above and nearly hits himself when the arrow bounces directly back at him.