According to the online Cambridge Dictionary, "where there's a will there's a way" is a saying that means "if you are determined enough, you can find a way to achieve what you want, even if it is very difficult." The adventurous novel The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss tells the story of a Swiss family—composed of a father, a mother, and four sons—who are shipwrecked on an island in the East Indies and then have to learn to survive. The novel is full of examples of determination in the face of adversity.
One of the most amazing examples of "where there's a will there's a way" occurs at the beginning of the novel right after the shipwreck. After a fearsome storm that lasts many days, the ship is breaking up within sight of land. The captain and crew take to the lifeboats and abandon the family on the sinking ship. Not all of the family members can swim, so it looks as if they are lost. However, instead of despairing and giving up, the family works together to find a means to get everyone safely to shore. They find four large wooden casks which they saw in half and then bind together with planks to form a raft. They fill the resultant tubs with passengers and essential supplies and in this way are able row themselves to land.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/where-there-s-a-will-there-s-a-way
Sunday, September 23, 2012
"Where there is a will there is a way"—show this with an example from the story The Swiss Family Robinson.
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