The novels _Hatchet __ and Forbidden City__ can be compared easily because they both describe the stories of teenagers facing conflict and struggle. The similarities and differences between both books are the shown in the conflicts between both books are the families , nature and society. By examining these problems in each novel one can see that they both deal with the overall topic of teenagers coming of age and creating their own identity through challenges and difficulties.
In the novels _Hatchet__ and _ Forbidden City_ , the similarities and differences are within the conflicts of Family' problems . Both Alex and Brian's parents are divorced. In the novel ___Hatchet_ , Brian is a thirteen year old boy , and his parents are divorced , Similarly in the novel _Forbidden City_ , the main character is a seventeen year old boy , whose parents are divorced as well. However , they both live with a different parent. Brian lives with his mom , and Alex lives with his dad. Alex and Brian both felt really angry because if their parents divorce. In Hatchet Brian reminisces : " Divorce.....an ugly word....the breaking and shattering of all the solid things". [Hatchet, P. 2 ] Brian is talking about that divorce damaged his life. Where as, Alex's parents are divorced but he has accepted the situation because he is older. Alex said to his dad : " We both lost her......the more i know is that she left us because she wanted to..I would never forgive her." [Forbidden City, P.16] Alex is talking about that he feels so mad at his mom that he'll never forgive her for living both of them alone.
Secondly, the differences between the novels is the conflict between Alex and Brian lives because both of them are facing Challenging situations. Brian got lost in the forest without anything. Brian thought of what his English teacher told him: " You are your most valuable asset. Don't forget that. You're the best thing you have." [ Hatchet, P. 48-49] . When his English teacher " Perpich" said that, he meant that Brian has a valuable thing which is himself , and he had to take care of it. He is the reason why he has to fight , and try to survive. However Alex's problem is that he is in Beijing, China in the middle of a violent revolution with his dad and dad's friends. Alex said : " there was a whole army of the clay soldiers buried in 3 different sites. The site that a farmer found had more then five hundred soldiers and six war-chariots-each of four houses".on the streets. He also said: " Eddie ( reporter) couldn't believe the government allowed TV station to show the demonstration....some of the posters and banners were pretty critical" [ Forbidden City, P. 84] When he said this statement, he was talking about Eddie was surprised because the government allowed the TV and radio station to show what was going on in there. They all were surprised because the government never did let TV and radio station to show the new of China at any country of the world. Alex said: " Dad was taping the news show to send it back to Canada after Eddie did a voice-over commentary about how the NeWS in China had been so free lately." [ Forbidden City, P. 85.] Alex is talking about that his dad got his big opportunity to type the news show and send it to Canada so that people may see what was going on in that country.
Finally, the similarities and differences between the two main character's struggle for identity are the challenges they face. First of all Brian and Alex' situations have lots of similarities. One of the similarities would be that their parents are divorced. Another similarity would be that they both were teenagers going through family' conflicts and struggles. For example Brian said: "If my mother hadn't begun to see him and forced the divorce, I wouldn't be here now." [ Hatchet, P. 59.] However Alex said something similar like: " I would never forgive my mother.....because she left me and my dad". [ Forbidden Cit, P. 16]
Some of the differences between this young characters are that Brian got lost in the forest and had to fight really hard with animals and hunger really hard to survive. He also confronted dangerous situations like fighting with animals. Brian said in one of the moments that he was really hungry: " If I just had something to eat .......anything." [ Hatchet, P. 56.] He was talking about that he wanted to have a candy or a chocolate anything that he may eat because he was really hungry.
In conclusion, the two novels Hatchet and Forbidden City share some differences and similarities about the struggles of teenagers to face challenges and mature. The novels show the conflicts that this two boys went through. The novels show to the readers how important is everything we have. But sometimes we don't realize how important are those little things we have until we lose them. So that happened to Brian and Alex because they learned how important is everything they do have until they lost it. For example Brian lost his mom and dad because he got lost in the forest, it means while he was there all alone by himself he realized how important was his mom and dad for him. Almost the same situation happened to Alex because he knew how important was Lao Xu for him until he lost him, and he also learned how important was his liberty and piece in Canada. Alex was in Beijing with his dad, surviving in that war and he had to support something really hard and sad. The hard and sad thing that Alex had to deal with , was Lao Xu's death. Alex said: " Nothing will be the same now, will it dad? Everything will be different now, and we will too. [ Forbidden City, P. 274.]
He's talking about that they wont be the same anymore because they passed through many hard and sad conflicts back to Beijing, China. Alex knew that he wouldn't be the same after Lao Xu's death because he Lao Xu became one Ale's best friends. Alex also knew that he was gonna miss his friend.
For all this reasons Alex and Brian were very mature, because they both learned how to appreciate everything they have.