SURVIVAL ESSAY This is the story of A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park. This is a good story about a boy named Salva and a girl named Nya. They live in different times. Salva and Nya need water and food. Salva has to walk a long way to get away from a war.
Though he life wouldn’t be the same after one day after school, this event started him on his personal journey. In the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Park, the character Salva, was sent on a personal journey, the events that impacted his journey were the war, the loss of his Uncle, and going to America. The war affected Salva’s journey because it caused his village to be attacked, and made all the children run away from their families and homes.
In the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park we follow Salva’s journey after he has to flee the country after war breaks out. Salva’s journey impacted him by making him more self sufficient, brave, and courageous. Salva’s journey taught him how to be more self-sufficient. In the beginning of the book he relied on others more. One thing in the story that made him more self-sufficient was when his group had left him behind in the barn.
Living in the middle of a warzone has become second nature for the refugees living in Southern Sudan. The novel, A Long Walk to Water, written by Linda Sue Park is based on the true story of Salva and his journey to refugee camps all over Africa over the last 30 years. Salva was one of the thousands of Lost Boys to make it out of Sudan and travel to America for safety. Through all of this Salva has proven he is a survivor by enduring hostile environments, being a leader for others, and pushing forward despite the loss of his friends and family. There are many ways Salva has shown he is a survivor, but the biggest example was him undergoing the harsh environments of Southern Sudan.
In Linda Sue Park’s novel A Long Walk to Water, demonstrates one of many true stories of many a Lost Boy. Salva an eleven year old had to flee from his village all alone because his village was attacked due to the Second Sudanese War that began in 1983. When Salva was at school and his village was being attacked,he was told not to go home, but into the bush,that's where his whole journey began. Salva had to show confidence, determination,and perseverance in order to survive in a difficult environment. To begin with, Salva was determined to make it out alive while walking through the Akobo Desert.
Without water you will not be able to survive the rest of the walk. Some of the others-they will be able to manage better than you.” Sure enough there was a women giving water to the men on the ground” (58). This shows that Salva is mature because he wants to give the water he has in his gourd to someone on the ground that is close to being dead, and someone who is not mature would keep the water for themselves. According to the text, “Crowds of boys followed him. Nobody talked about it, but by the end of the first day Salva had become the leader of about fifteen hundred boys” (80).
A Long Walk To Water Linda Sue Park’s book entitled A Long Walk To Water is about two people on different paths that eventually meet. One character named Nya is a girl who walks 12 hours a day to get water for her family. While the other character Salva is a boy who is left in a country surrounded by war. In Salva’s story, his survival became possible through three main factors:his uncle, food and water; the memory of his family. His uncle was one of the most influential and supportive people in his life and he helped Salva throughout his journey.
The narrator states, “…Salva was slowly weakening…step by step.” This quote symbolizes Salvas build up to a man, “What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger.” Said the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. Salva is a transformed person by the end of the book. He has gone from a fortunate child to a refugee forced to flee his “village” to a man of great compassion and thoughtfulness to others. At the start of the novel, Salva is a fortunate child. The narrator says, “Salva’s father was a very successful man as he owned many cattle and worked as their villages judge an honored and respected position.” This meant that Salva could have many fantastic experiences that most could not.
After a long journey, we reached a place where they called it Ezlaveya, where all the people closed in one room. My legs couldn’t move, the smuggler hit me again and again so that I can stand up and get into the house. When I tried to explain, he doesn’t understand the language. He pulled me by my shirt and threw me in the big room, where around 1000 people live together. Once I get in, I slept on the floor all day and thinking whether I am dreaming or not.
Both characters decide to stick with friends and family. Jiya is orphaned by his friend’s family, he has the chance to grow up in luxury, raised by the wealthy Old Gentleman, as opposed to growing up in poverty with Kino. He chooses to live with Kino. When Salva arrives to America, he studies business. He majors in business which he uses to help him build wells for the people of Sudan.