A Long Walk to Water

Similar to perseverance, courage is one of Salva's salient attributes. It takes courage to remain on the move and not turn back. It takes courage to keep going after losing a best friend and an uncle. It takes courage to leap into a swiftly flowing river full of crocodiles. It takes courage to pick up burning feet to traverse an endless desert when everything in you is crying out to give up. It also takes courage to lead others when you don't feel like you have anything particularly special about you—which is how Salva feels when taking on the Lost Boys—and to speak in front of others when your English isn't perfect. Salva experiences real fear and anxiety before all of these experiences, showing he is not perfect, and thus encouraging readers to do the right thing even when it is hard or they want to give up.