People is a heavily stressed theme within the novel, A Long Walk to Water, written by Linda Sue Park. One of Salva’s largest motivations to continue walking and survive is his family. The tribes’ interactions with each other are prevalent within the work. Multiple characters have had important relationships to Salva as well as Nya. A Long Walk to Water is a story driven through the interactions of people.
The tight bonds within the tribes are some of the greatest examples of this
Character-based theme. Salva, after being left behind by the much older group, sees an elderly woman outside of the barn. Upon examination, the woman appears to be from the same tribes as him, Dinka. Salva approaches her, doing so, he addresses the woman as “Auntie.” Salva, a complete stranger to this lady, can consider her a familial member such as Auntie, as she hails from the same tribe as him. The woman accepts his presence and lets him shelter within the barn and provides him with food for the time being. This encounter shows the familiarity and close relationships between same-tribe members.
Some of the biggest interactions within the book occur with various characters. …show more content…
The tribes of Sudan don’t always get along either. The rivalry between the two largest ethnic groups in Sudan, the Dinka and the Nuer, are eminent within the novel. The refugees are stopped by Nuer looters. When they raided every article the refugees had, they took Uncle Jewiir to a tree and shot him. Nya’s mother worries for her husband and son whenever they go out to hunt, the possibility that the Dinka could harm them, members of the Nuer, is a very real occurrence. Violent relationships are minor compared to the others within the novel, but they exist