Comparing Clive Cussler's Sahara and Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

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Comparing Clive Cussler's Sahara and Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

The theme that will be explored in this essay will be survival when

times get tough, physically, mentally. The two books that will be

involved in the discussion will be Clive Cussler's Sahara and Daniel

Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. In both cases the leading characters show

signs of breaking down and quitting because of physical, but also their

mental stress.

Robinson Crusoe, and Sahara relate in many ways, as do

the main characters, and will be two good books to compare the survival

of both Dirk Pitt and Robinson Crusoe. The three criteria that will be

talked about in this essay will be the survival physically. Did both

characters have hard times to pull out of ? . The next type of survival

is mental survival, it comes a close second to physical survival and

both characters show signs also of this type. With mental survival the

physical component must first be stable and accomplished, that is when

you can then work your mind into better thoughts and ideas. The third

criteria that will be looked at is, how the characters were changed

at the end of the book looking at it through post-traumatic stress

disorder. Both characters show signs of physical survival and it is

believed that physical is the most important type of survival because

you must first be physically healthy and strong before you can even

walk or talk or think. Mental survival is strongly needed and is

required in tough times

Each type of survival is different in it's own way, but first physical

stability must be achieved to be able to survive the elements and their

challenges to then master the other type of survival such as mental

survival. In Robinson Crusoe the rain is pouring down and the wind is

blowing strongly. Robinson says that this is the strongest, fiercest

storm that has ever blown in on him. He is deathly ill and writes this

in his diary.

The ague again so violent that I lay abed all day and neither ate nor

drank. I was ready to perish for thirst but so weak I had not strength

to stand up or to get myself any water to drink. (Defoe 96)

Dirk Pitt also had some rough times in the book Sahara. Crawling in

the desert, he has had nothing to drink or eat days, or for days to

come. This is what he remembers from that dreary day on dusty desert

floor.

Pitt found it odd that he couldn't remember when he last spit. Though

he sucked on small pebbles to relieve the relentless thirst, he could

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