In a survival situation, the psychological battle is as difficult as the physical one. Firstly demonstrated in Survivor Type, Richard Pine resorts to cannibalization due to starvation on an isolated island, while using his “superior mind” as an excuse to do it. Similarly, Sanger Rainsford in The Most Dangerous Game is on the verge of losing his cognitive abilities from feeling nervous and sickly after becoming prey for General Zaroff, which will lead to his death if he doesn't control his emotions. On the contrary, in I am Legend, Neville attempts suicide after having an emotional breakdown after his dog Sam dies to a darkseeker. In either case, survival can cause as much distress to a person's psychological functions as physical ones. Richard Pine in Survivor Type is an accurate example of the difficulties a person will go through in a survival situation because of mental health as opposed to physical health. While surviving on an isolated island is difficult on the body, the most harmful factor for Pine was deciding to cannibalize himself. Therefore, he began attempting to rationalize engaging in cannibalism, “Wait. Haven't I told you I'd had nothing to eat for …show more content…
Robert Neville in I am Legend succumbs to the psychological trauma of his dog Sam dying, instead of yielding to physical limitations. While other examples have shown some level of resilience towards mental hardships, Neville submitted to his emotions and attempted suicide. He has lived in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan for nearly three years, with a few struggles physically, but he has a difficult time dealing with psychological problems. In fact, while having attempted suicide, Neville also speaks with mannequins and has mental breakdowns in some parts of the story, “I… I promised a friend I would say hello to you today. [Begins to cry] Please say hello to me. [Sobs] Please say hello to me.” (Lawrence). To conclude, irrational senses hinder survival situations more than physical