Have you ever been in a life-or-death situation? Many people have, some with life-threatening illnesses or having experienced natural disasters. These survivors share similar important qualities that enable them to survive, and the three most important are dauntlessness, selflessness, and problem-solving.

The first vital quality of a survivor is dauntlessness. To be dauntless means to show fearlessness and determination. Survivors face many challenges in their path, and they must be able to overcome these challenges using boldness and persistence. In the story Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes, Lanesha and her friend, TaShon, are stuck on a roof. The roof is surrounded by toxic water as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Tashon and Lanesha have to get off the roof because the flood waters are rising, and their only hope to get off the roof is to get to something to free the boat they see stuck in branches near their neighbor’s house. Lanesha was dauntless when she decided to jump onto the log floating in the contaminated water around her to reach the boat. According to Rhodes in her book, Ninth Ward, “I inch my body further, my hips and legs still touching the roof. Inhaling, I plunge forward. My arms are around the tree.” Lanesha is so desperate to get off the roof that she will lunge into the toxic water to save herself and her friend;  this shows dauntlessness. 

The second vital quality of a survivor is selflessness. To be selfless is to be concerned more about other people’s needs rather than your own. People may think that selflessness is not as important because survivors also need to help themselves to make sure they survive. The reason selflessness is in the top 3 most important qualities of a survivor is that when people help others and care for others, friendships and trust are created. This creates a symbiotic relationship in which people help people. For example, in the novel Into the Lifeboat by Violet Jessop, Violet is on the Titanic while it is sinking. Likewise, in Ninth Ward, Violet and Lanesha are both surrounded by water. Violet and Lanesha both have to secure a lifeboat to survive. Violet works on the ship as a stewardess, a person who helps and attends to people on a boat, aircraft, or airplane. Once many people have gotten off the ship and into the lifeboats, Violet is on her way to get on one herself. After she is in the lifeboat, young Mason hands her a baby. Violet takes the baby willingly to save the child. “Before I could do anything, young Mason hailed me and held up something, calling as he prepared to throw it, ‘Look after this, will you?” and I reached out to receive somebody’s forgotten baby in my arms.” (Jessop) The act that Violet took the baby without knowing whose it was or what would happen once she took the baby, shows selflessness. Violet took the baby without thinking because that was her instinct.

The third and final vital quality of a survivor is problem-solving. To be good at problem-solving means that you are good at finding solutions to problems. The reason that problem-solving is in the top three most important qualities of a survivor is that survivors face many challenges, and they must learn to solve them using problem-solving skills. Evidently, in the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, Salva is leaving his village of Loun-Ariik because of the war in Southern Sudan in 2011. After many years of walking, he made it to the Itang Refugee camp. He stayed in that camp for 6 years. After those 6 years, the Itange Refugee camp started to close down because the government was falling apart, and they could no longer run the refugee camp. Soldiers came and forced them into the Gilo River. Many died from drowning or were eaten by crocodiles. Salva decided his only option was to go to Kenya, which he did. He walked with all the others who survived and made it to the other side of the Gilo River, and eventually, he became the leader of all the people walking. There were many children in the group who did not want to help or work. Salva was calm and patient. He calmed and coaxed them. “There were times when some boys did not want to do their share of work. Salva would talk to them, encourage them, coax and persuade them.” (Park, pg 81) This shows that because of Salva’s childhood and all the things he went through as a child, he learned that you should learn to solve your problems and not let them overcome you.

To sum it up, whether experiencing an illness or a natural disaster, dauntlessness, selflessness, and problem-solving will benefit anyone. People can get through anything if they put their mind to it.

Mollie is a 7th grader writer at MMS.