The Will To Survive Analysis

Throughout the Will to Survive, it is clear the events that take place drastically alter the mental state of the hero. Walters initially portrays Adam as an innocent teenager who goes to school, plays sports and deals with normal teenage problems. However, a computer virus results in the destruction of modern technology forcing Adam to take on leadership responsibilities and make difficult decisions for the good of the community. In one situation, he murders two members of a hostile military group, as they attempt to hijack the plane and coerce him at gunpoint to pilot it to their compound. It is this event that ultimately leads to the decline of Adam’s mental state. Just after the killings, Adam sleeps in the living room, his bedroom filled with the “presence [of] Brett [...] his hand on [Adam’s] throat and the cold metal pressed

He spends most of his time lost in thought, feeling guilty about his killings and worrying about attacks on the neighborhood. In the end, his uncontrollable obsession over killing Brett consumes him. Adam is unable to ignore Brett’s letter about threatening the neighborhood. He spends nights “[staring] at the words without reading them” (Walters 233). He decides that Brett is a “monster that [he] [has] to kill”. He plans to do this “without hesitation [...] doubt, [or] remorse” (Walters 233). Walters shows that traumatic events in life can shape one for the better or for the worse, and it is how one reacts to these events that determines the true outcome. By internalizing these events and not seeking support, one’s mental health can be significantly impacted. This message can be connected to soldiers, police and paramedics who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the catastrophic events they face. These patients often have suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, and trouble sleeping as they are consumed with repeated images of violence and