Adversity is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune. Even though the word adversity can be universally defined like any other noun in the English lexicon, the personal emotions and responses tied to the word adversity vary greatly from person-to-person. Everyone on the planet will experience some form of adversity within their lives, and they will react to that hardship. The misfortune will affect them, will change them just like any other major or minor life event. Adversity is a uniquely individual concept that has been showcased throughout literature. Each person, whether real, fictional, or an anthropomorphic allegory experiences adversity in their own unique way. …show more content…
Take Treasure Island, a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. The novel follows Jim Hawkins, a lad who has joined a sailing expedition to recover a treasure hidden on a remote island. Even from a small excerpt from the book, we can see how Jim and the rest of the crew are affected by the voyage and arrival to Treasure Island. “Although the sun shone bright and hot, and the shore birds were fishing and crying all around us, and you would've thought anyone would have been glad to get to land after being so long at sea, my heart sank, as the saying is, into my boots; it is from that first look onward, I hated the very thought of Treasure Island.” Even without context of the previous and following chapters, plenty of information can be gathered by this simple sentence. Jim and the crew are tired. They have sailed for God knows how long, the sun is sweltering and the sounds of nature are overstimulating. Even though he recognizes that he should be happy to set foot on solid ground, he hates the thought of Treasure Island. Treasure Island is labour, is hardship, is exertion, is adversity. The crew responded to this adversity by grumbling and complaining about their position. They are unhappy, they have been worked to the bone on the Hispaniola only to work more. This shows that they are hard workers, yes, but do not care about the work they are doing. They only took the job for the same and finances that came along with it, they lack the passion and endurance to carry