In The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers, and Buried Onions, by Gary Soto, the main characters live in environments that test their emotions and their opinions. The Man, Eddie, and Zeitoun have to survive in a society, where people judge them because of their actions and values. Zeitoun lives in a society that judges him for being Muslim and his beliefs. Eddie finds himself having to pick between being himself and the cousin that wants to avenge the death of his family member. The Man deals with having to raise of a son and survive a post-apocalyptic environment without becoming a cannibal. All of these main characters face life or death situations in dangerous environments. Zeitoun is the main
