Survival and Sacrifice

Where it surfaces

• The Apostate

  Johnny and his mother sacrifice basic comforts and health for survival, with Johnny enduring exhaustion and his mother giving him her own bread.

• Just Meat

  Each man sacrifices the other in a desperate bid for survival and wealth, but ultimately both are sacrificed to their own greed.

• Make Westing

  Captain Cullen sacrifices a crewman and later a passenger to achieve his goal of making westing, illustrating the ruthless calculus of survival at sea.

• The Francis Spaight

  The crew resorts to drawing lots to decide who will be killed and eaten, highlighting the extreme measures taken for survival.

• A Curious Fragment

  The literate slave sacrifices his life to write petitions; Tom Dixon's arm becomes a symbol of the slaves' suffering and resistance.

• A Piece of Steak

  The family's sacrifice—the wife going hungry, the children sent to bed without supper—highlights the struggle for survival in hard times.