Story Of Keesh Character Analysis

The writer, Isabel Allende once stated, “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In the times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things.” Survival is not something that most people have in mind. Many people don’t have to suffer to survive, however in the case of a tragedy, disaster, or harsh environments, survival is a necessity. To survive, their mind must be completely set on the goal. Being unsure or sad will only distract them from the goal, meaning that their will to survive is not very strong. The characters in “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel and “The Story of Keesh” by Jack Landon show a strong will to survive, however, their ways of surviving are both similar and different.

The characters in both stories either live or were put in an extreme environment. According to the,“Story of Keesh,” “When the North gales make their long sweep across the icepack, and the air is filled with flying white, and no man may venture forth… For each winter the sun leaves the land in darkness.” (London, 61) The environment in which Keesh and his people live is extremely cold. Its weather is also so extreme that people cannot safely go outside. Their strong will to survive has, however, allowed them to overcome this obstacle. They had even found a way to live in these harsh conditions. An example of this is when Keesh goes to hunt. “...he went forth along the line where the ice and the land met together. Those who saw him go noted that he carried his bow, with a good supply of … arrows and, that across his shoulders was his father’s big hunting spear.” (London, 61) They have not only found a way to make the area their home, but they have also been able to hunting successfully despite the dangers of ice. This is slightly different from environment in the “Life of Pi.” In the “Story of Keesh,” the characters are faced with an Arctic-like environment whereas Pi is stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Pi, however, has the advantage in his environment as the elements allowed him to survive. Pi stated, “The elements allowed me to go on living. The lifeboat did not sink. Richard Parker kept out of sight. The sharks prowled but did not lunge. The waves splashed me but did not pull me off.” (Martel, 79). Pi clearly has an easier environment in which he must survive in. The main problem is that he needs to find food and fresh water, which he finds on the boat. Keesh and his people constantly have to suffer and risk their lives for their necessities in order to survive, whereas Pi at the moment only has to risk his life every once in a while when he needs provisions.