A Long Walk to Water is a young adult novel written by Linda Sue Park and published in 2011 The novel follows two protagonists who, despite being separated by eleven years, are both on a journey of survival in South Sudan.
The first protagonist, Nya, is an 11-year-old girl who must walk 8 miles each day to fetch water for her family, while the second protagonist, Salva, is a Sudanese refugee and survivor of the Civil War. During the journey, both protagonists learn about life, love, and conflict, and ultimately, reveal the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
A Long Walk to Water provides an excellent example for essay writers, with the novel’s topics of survival, resilience, and conflict. Here are five of the best essay topics for A Long Walk to Water:
1. Discuss the concept of resilience in A Long Walk to Water. What does the novel teach us about being resilient in the face of adversity? How does it demonstrate the power of resilience?
2. Examine the themes of identity and perseverance in the novel. How do the characters’ individual struggles shape the story? How is their journey of self-discovery affected by their experiences?
3. Analyse the role of faith and religion in the novel. Does faith help the protagonists to overcome their obstacles? How does it affect their journey and the outcome of their stories?
4. Discuss how the novel portrays the issue of war and conflict. What are the implications of war on the characters? How does the novel explore the consequences of large-scale conflict in communities?
5. Examine the themes of survival and hope in A Long Walk to Water. What does the novel show us about the importance of hope in difficult situations? How does it illustrate the power of hope and determination?