I need you to change the wording the best you can 100 points To survive is to continue to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or
difficult circumstances. To survive, individuals must sometimes change and adapt to their
environment. Survival is one of the main themes in the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda
Sue Park. The main characters, Nya and Salva, both experience difficult circumstances. In the
novel, Park uses the stories of the two main characters to show the mental, emotional, and
physical challenges that occur when struggling to survive.
In the novel, A Long Walk to Water, one of the main characters, Salva, was forced to
leave his home due to the Sudanese Civil War. He went on a difficult journey through the desert
on his way to a refugee camp. On his journey, he faced challenges such as limited food and
water, hungry lions, and losing people close to him. Despite the many obstacles Salva faced, he
kept going. Park writes, “Salva would think of his family and his village, and he was somehow
able to keep his wounded feet moving forward, one painful step at a time” (Park 54). This quote
shows how Salva managed to survive his challenging circumstances and physical pain by staying
positive and focusing on what was important to him.
The other main character, Nya, also had to face struggles while trying to survive in
Southern Sudan. Nya had to walk many hours each day to get water for her and her family. The
water she collected was not always clean and safe which caused her family members to become
sick. Seeing her sister fighting for her life because of dirty water became an additional emotional

Last Name 1
challenge for Nya. Her long and tiring journey to get this water became a part of her daily
routine, and it became a necessary part of survival. Park writes “Nya would now make her
second trip to the pond. To the pond and back -- to the pond and back -- nearly a full day of
walking altogether. This was Nya’s daily routine seven months of the year. Daily. Every single
day” (Park 20). This quote shows how the struggle to survive became a part of Nya’s everyday
life. She was forced to adapt her daily routine to make time to collect the water necessary for her
and her family’s survival.
The struggle to survive and adapt to changing circumstances is something that impacts
many people. In the novel, Salva has a close relationship with his uncle. His uncle acts as a
leader to Salva and their entire group. He acts as a support system and helps Salva through
difficult moments. When he eventually passed away this caused Salva great pain, but he was
eventually able to become a leader and help others the way his uncle had. I can relate to Salva’s
experience of losing his uncle. When I was younger, I had a close relationship with my
grandmother. She acted as a leader and support system for me and my little sister. She was the
glue that held our family together. When she passed away, I was devastated. I did not know what
to do, just like Salva. Eventually, after a lot of time, I was able to heal and work on becoming a
leader and support system for my little sister just like my grandmother was to me. Salva realized
that he needed to help others the way his uncle had helped him, and I realized that I needed to
love and support my sister the way my grandmother had done for me.
To survive is to make changes and adapt to the environment around you. Salva was
forced to adapt to life without his uncle and to become a leader for his people. Nya was forced to
adapt her daily routine to make time for the long walk to get water each day. Even when life
presents people with challenges, they must continue to live and exist in their changing world.

Last Name 1
This is something I and many have faced. For me, it was losing someone close to me but life can
present challenges in many forms. All you can do is keep moving forward.