Character Analysis: A Long Walk To Water

The term ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’ refers to the about 20,000 boys that were displaced in the Second Sudanese Civil War. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is a novel based on the true experiences of some of Sudan’s lost boys. A character in the novel based on these boys, Salva, must leave his village and flee the Second Sudanese Civil War. He tries to find safety from the violence by walking to a camp in Ethiopia, facing many perils along the way. When the Ethiopian government forces the refugees to leave the country, Salva must begin yet another, long difficult journey to Kenya. Salva survives the dangers of his journeys because of hard work, perseverance, and his relationships. Salva survives some of his challenges because of hard work.

The author says, “Salva staggered forward with yet another enormous load of reeds in his arms. Everyone was busy.” This shows that Salva works hard because in the text, he must carry load after

An example of this is on pages twenty-four to twenty-five, when Salva forms an alliance with a young man named Buksa. According the text, Buska says, “‘The bird. The one I was listening to. He led me right here.’ … ‘You see that?’… ‘A beehive. A fine, large one.’” This tells us that Salva’s relationships helped him survive because Salva’s alliance with Buska helped him get honey to eat. Also, on page thirty, Salva is worried when he learns that they are walking to Ethiopia, but his friend, Marial, comforts him. The author says, “I can’t go to another country, Salva thought. If I do, my family will never find me… Marial put his arm around Salva’s shoulders. He seemed to know what Salva was thinking…” Marial seems to know that Salva is worried that his family will not be able to find him, so he comforts Salva. This shows that Marial helped Salva on his journey, because he made Salva feel better about not being able to find his family and he was able to empathize with Salva. Third, on page forty-one, Salva is afraid of lion attacks after Marial is killed by a lion, so he stays near his Uncle Jewiir. The text states, “Listening to Uncle, staying close to him, Salva was able to make his feet move despite the cold terror throughout his body.” This quotation explains how Salva’s relationships helped him survive because, despite his fear, he felt less