When the shipwreck happened off shore of the island, Crusoe believed in himself by swimming to shore with all his might. The brute power of the waves “strangled” (Defoe 40) Crusoe in the water. Every time Crusoe would get a breath of air another wave would take him under. He was “helpless by the waves throwing him against the rocks.” (Defoe 40). When Robinson Crusoe finally swam to shore and he felt “sudden joys” (Defoe 41) as he survived the raging waves of the storm. This emotion gives Crusoe the confidence to be able to survive. When Robinson Crusoe arrives on the island, nature presents to him several challenges including no shelter or defense from the outside world and food or water in order for him to survive. During the next morning Robinson Crusoe woke up to find that the storm is over and to see that the ship is a quarter of a mile off the shore. He knew that he could reach it by a raft but then he begins to think of the lost crewmembers. Crusoe says that “if all of the crew members would of stayed on board that they would all have been saved.” (Defoe 44). This makes Crusoe distressed so much that he begins to cry, but he quickly quits and began to make plans to get to the ship and get its resources. Crusoe overcomes his challenges by taking several trips to the half-sunken to acquire wood and supplies in order to build …show more content…
Survival is the state of continuing to live or thrive in difficult circumstances. For Robinson Crusoe, survival for him was to battle a man vs nature conflict that jeopardizes his survival on the island, but to also provide an opportunity for personal growth. Crusoe had to overcome several challenges that he faced while being on the island, adapt to his environment, and express his state of mind while being in a state of solitude on the island. Crusoe is not the strongest or the most intelligent person that will survive, but those who can best manage change will be able to survive the