Non-Fiction Essay

Author's Note: I am writing a response to the book Trapped by Michael Northrop and telling why the theme of the novel is survival.

Every day people are faced by challenges in their lives. They have decisions on how to handle their challenges. They can run away from it, face it like a man, or ignore it. If you were faced with a challenge how would you handle it?  

In the book Trapped  seven kids got trapped in the Tattawa Regional High School for five days during a record high snow storm. They were cold, hungry, and scared. Friendships slowly faded away due to disagreements. They had trouble getting out of the school, none of their phones were working, and the power went out. One kid named Pete tried to make it into town to get help using a snowmobile his friend and him made in shop class. They saw him disappear into the thick snow and never come out. So one brave kid named Scotty went out looking for him wearing the snow shoes that he made in the shop. He saw Pete trapped under the snowmobile and lifted it up.  And when he did he saw that Pete was dead. So it was Scotty's job to try to make it to town and tell someone that he and his friends were trapped in the high school. On Scotty's way into town he saw a skier. When the skier saw Scotty, Scotty collapsed and was out cold.  Later there were some snowmobilers who found Scotty and a helicopter picked him up and helped him.  Scotty told the National Guard that there were five other people still trapped in the high school.

The theme in the book Trapped is survival. It is survival because seven kids were trapped in a building that had no power, no heat, and no help on the way. The theme survival to me means that you have to do whatever it takes to stay alive. Staying alive may mean that you have to go off by yourself or stay with a team to use all of the ideas to stay safe.

There were several responses to being trapped in the high school by different characters and here are a few examples. The main character Scotty Weems stayed calm even under the harsh conditions of the winter snow storm. After finding Pete's body buried under the snowmobile he had a choice to make - stay with Pete, go back to the high school or go to town for help. He chose to get help.  Another example is Pete, Scotty's best friend.  He started to freak out and panic and eventually went out  into the snow and that’s the last they saw of him alive. Those are some examples of how people react to challenges like surviving in the frigid winter weather. 

When you are faced with challenges it is up to you on what you are going to do about it. Your choice will catch up with you either in a good way or bad way. So stick with the right choice and don’t ignore your challenges. Face them with confidence like Scotty.