Which element helps Brian sustain resilience when facing solitude?

• A. Advice from a friend who appears later
• B. A detailed map of the wilderness
• C. Memory of his father and an inner resolve
• D. Constant presence of companions

Answer: (C)

Facing solitude, Brian relies on an inner resource: memory of his father and his own resolve. This mental anchor gives him a reason to endure when fear, cold, and hunger press in. The memory isn’t a tangible tool; it acts like a compass, helping him stay calm, think clearly, and take steady, practical steps. By recalling his father’s attitudes or lessons, he finds motivation to tackle immediate tasks—finding or making shelter, locating water and food, keeping a fire, and maintaining hope. This internal determination is what sustains him when there’s no one else around to lean on.

The other options rely on things that aren’t available in solitude: advice from a friend who appears later wouldn’t help in the moment, a detailed map isn’t the missing piece that keeps him going, and constant companionship would defeat the very situation he must endure.