An Andante Pianissimo

Essay

Jan Laurice D. Espiritu

11/03/12

“Also Called Determination”

           Determination comes from oneself who is willing to boldly confront, and never withdraw from any circumstance. Even in the midst of impossibility to undertake those struggles. The reason why is because “Determination” comes from a particular perspective, which these people believe in.  In the novel “Deathwatch” by Robb White, the character of Ben struggles to conquer the deranged hunter Madec both in the desert and back among civilized men.

             Out in the desert, Ben devises a plan to overpower Madec. For example, Ben discovers a powerful hunting slingshot with ammunition. The hard work from practicing and using the hunting slingshot that Ben discovered, supported Ben to persevere in surviving out in the middle of the desert. Also by locating the hunting slingshot, the hunting slingshot gives hope to Ben to somehow never relinquish on defeating Madec. Secondly, Ben, who was literally naked, climbed up and hid inside of the butte. Before Ben was even able to get in to butte Ben struggled for several hours of climbing up, because of the complexion of the butte. Also Ben doesn’t even have tools for climbing up, which means that Ben wasn’t even lucky but was very intelligent to able to climbed up even with an awful condition. Staying on the butte gave opportunity for Ben to finally regain strength, which also tells that Ben survive the extreme dehydration and severe wounds, that Ben got from Madec’s harassment. Lastly, Ben strategically buried himself underground of the desert’s sand for a various period of time. Ben, who was buried underground, panicked for several times on what might happen above the ground. The concept of Ben of burying himself under the ground was very unique plan, that Madec never expect for Ben to construct that kind of concept. Beyond any doubt, Ben successfully triumph by shooting Madec  several times from the hunting slingshot and tied Madec up. Ben pack up everything with the body of the old prospector, by finding the body. Then travels back to civilization by the jeep, and hopefully report everything that had happened.

                Going back to civilization, Ben explains everything had happened in the desert, to reveal the whole truth. At first, Ben describes how Ben utilized of hunting slingshot to persist in the desert. The hunting slingshot was actually the main evidence that only Ben had, because the slingshot is the only “saving key” to ultimately prove that Ben’s  innocent. Without the hunting slingshot the truth will never be affirm, which is perfectly biased to Ben, which the one mostly suffered in the desert. Then, Ben tries to establish that the old prospector was killed by the heaviest bullet from the three bullets, that struck through the chest of the old prospector. The heaviest bullet is remarkable piece of evidence that also role in the investigation about the death of the old prospector, because the lightweight bullets dexterously manipulate the bullet that really killed the old prospector, which the heaviest bullet. The heaviest bullet is very manipulating evidence, that only the doctor, which is Mr. Saunders, who was able to discovered the “real killer” of the old prospector. Afterwards, Ben tries to convince that Ben didn’t shoot Madec by the bullet of .22 Hornet rifle, but from the buckshot of the hunting slingshot. Beyond this part, Ben was struggling so much that the truth was slipping away in Ben’s grasp; the lies have been gone so far. Thankfully, while discussing about the “unknown bullets” that really injured Madec, Mr. Saunders unknowingly provides the ultimate evidence that will reveal the whole truth, which is the hunting slingshot.   

               In the end, I conclude that the very purpose why Ben keeps fighting, despite of every struggle that he faced, is the belief and his determination to hold on until the very end simply just to report an accident, that led him to his triumph over Madec.