Chapter 7: The Desperate Recourse of a Starving Man Summary and Analysis

Luis grabbed the bird by the wing just as it tried to fly off. It was bad luck for a sailor to kill a gull but could his luck get any worse?! Although he hesitated for a moment, he twisted the gull's neck. The head hung down as blood spurted from its neck. He felt like a murderer. Unfortunately, the scent of blood attracted a shark that began to circle. He threw the head over the side to distract the shark.

The conventional wisdom that a starving man would eat anything might have been true but Luis did not contemplate eating with great relish - especially looking at a mass of bloody flesh and feathers. He tried to eat a piece of the leg but it nauseated...