A person's ability to adapt to and overcome hardship is called resilience. It is known to be a set of abilities that may be learned and improved through practice and experience. It is a person's power to not get defeated by what life throws at them, but to use it as a chance for growth. The ability to handle the inevitable setbacks and obstacles that come our way is improved by developing resilience, which eventually results in a stronger sense of well-being and satisfaction in life. Through those obstacles, a person transforms to be a stronger person. “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle” ( Hill). The Illegal, by Lawrence Hill, will help the reader learn the true meaning of resilience as Keita Ali struggles …show more content…
The quote “Run Keita, Just Run. Breathe and Run” (Hill 15). The quote demonstrates that Keita is trying to show resilience by always moving forward. His resilience most of the time comes from this strategy of running. The words "run, Keita, just run” are often used by Keita to tell himself to keep running, because he knows that the only way he can survive in Freedom State is by running. It is his only source of income. In the novel, Keita uses those words when he is in pain and keeps moving forward by telling himself, “Just run." As Keita moves forward, he is becoming more resilient and stronger. Running is part of his resilience strategy because it allows him to escape the pain he is experiencing. Keita runs when he is in pain. When he thinks about her mother's death, he starts running to escape his thoughts. Running helps him recover from the pain he is feeling. Keita is using his skill at running to respond to her challenges. “You have been telling me for years to get in touch. Well, here I am and ready to go.” (Hill 52). After the death of Keita’s father, Keita has to get out of Zantoroland in order to stay alive. He had no other choice but to contact marathon agent Anton Hamm. “Telling me for years,” Keita has been told for years by Anton Hamm to accept his offers, but he would not since he was scared to leave her father alone in Zantoroland. “Ready to Go” shows how Keita is finally ready to move on and is ready to improve her career as a good marathoner. Those words demonstrate Keita's recovery from her previous situations and her readiness to make decisions in her running career. Yoyo’s death made her move forward, and now she is ready to do anything for her survival and her future life. Keita is adaptable to the difficult circumstances that black people face because of her resilience. Resilience is shown by the character