Survival is an often recurring theme in the work of James Dickey and it is interesting to examine the different uses and manifestations that it takes.
Survival is a word that can have many different meanings to many different people.
Often it is concerned with continuance of physical life, but just as often it addresses continuing strength, courage, emotional and spiritual well-being. James Dickey seemed almost obsessed with survival. His human characters were sometimes ruthless, but these same traits would have been examined differently had the character been a non- human animal. The idea of survival is examined in several samples from Dickey's works and the ones presented vary from admirable victory to atavistic instinct. Those who are not dying or part of the struggle do not understand.