Perseverance Essay

Question: What does it mean to persevere?

Every day, people all over the world go through tribulations. But it is when you persevere that you can overcome those obstacles. Just having a mindset of persevering is all it takes for someone to face and overcome their troubles. There is know one understanding of perseverance, but in this essay I will explain what perseverance means to me.

The dictionary definition of persevere is “to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.” but to others it may mean something different. For example, a poor person might think persevering is making ends meet, getting through the day without, well, dying. But Bill Gates might think that persevering is working hard all day maintaining his business. Social class is one way of differentiating a persons thinking on perseverance. Another way is emotional state. Someone who is depressed might think that staying strong and beating the thoughts of the mind is persevering. Different people have different understandings of what this word means also depending on hardships. Things like anxiety, bankrupt, low self-confidence and even grades can be hardships to different people. Overall, this word can mean so many different things to so many different people.

In the novella, “The Pearl” Kino and his family demonstrate great perseverence, especially when Coyotito was stung and when they were traveling to the capitol. They strived to make sure Coyotito got the care that he needed, which does show perseverence. Plus, they were struggling to find enough payment, perhaps a pearl, to care for Coyotito’s wounds. Also, when they were going to the capitol, there where a lot of hardships along the way, like the blazing heat, the shortage of food and water, and the hunters. But they strived to get to the capitol to sell the pearl, which shows great perseverance.

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