Over 24,000 boys between the ages of fifteen to eighteen started the tough journey to a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya after being chased out of their homes by the Second Sudanese Civil War. Only half arrived to the refugee camp alive. The fictional character Salva Dut in Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water was one of these boys. On a normal school day, Salva was sitting in his classroom when gunshots started firing outside; following his teacher’s instructions, Salva immediately evacuated a small village in Southern Sudan and began the long, treacherous journey to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. After experiencing the perils of starvation and disease, Salva arrived at the camp, only to then be forced out a few years later to move to a new camp …show more content…
An example of where Salva displays his perseverance to the reader is after his Uncle got shot and killed. Although, ‘Despite the numbness in his heart, Salva was amazed to find himself walking faster and more boldly than he had before.’ (65). This shows that Salva can take the most tragic of events and push through them. One other place in the book where Salva proves his ability to persevere is when Salva finds out that his father is still alive, but he can’t reach him. Despit the challenge of getting permits to leave the country, ‘At last all the forms were filled out, and the paperwork was in order. Salva flew in a jet to New York City,’ (101). This shows that Salva will persevere lots in order to see someone he loves. Lastly, after the war comes to Salva’s village, Salva definitely shows that he is able to push through anything that is thrown in his way. This is proved when ‘He ran until he could not run anymore. Then he walked. For hours, until the sun was nearly gone from the sky.’(9). This proves that even in confusing and frightening events, Salva is able to make it through and make good choices about his safety. In conclusion, one of the vital reasons of Salva’s survival is the events that he made it through and the things that he persevered