Perseverance Quotes in The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge

Although we'll be focusing on Hugh Glass for the bulk of this section, it's worth noting that he's not the only one with oodles of determination in The Revenant. William Ashley has plenty of persistence, too, the only difference being that his only goal is to make as much cash as possible.

Hugh Glass is so persistent that he doesn't stop swinging even when he's unconscious. That's boss status. What's more, this sets the tone for everything that follows, as it shows that Glass is far tougher than a human being has any right to be. Are we sure that this dude isn't a Terminator or something?

As Glass's body slowly (emphasis on the slowly) recovers, we see him become increasingly focused on surviving this seemingly un-survivable ordeal. We wouldn't put money on it, but if anyone can do it, it's Glass.

Think about that for a second. Just think about it. Glass is still recovering from a brutal bear attack, yet he still has the determination to crawl across hundreds of miles of rocky terrain in order to get revenge. Just think about that the next time you take the elevator instead of the stairs.

Glass keeps himself sane by focusing only on the task at hand rather than worrying about what might happen in the future. To do otherwise would surely lead to, you know, something like madness.

Even with a good attitude, however, survival is going to be a lot easier said than done. Buckle in, Shmoopers, because this is going to be one bumpy ride.

Despite the awful physical pain, the mental anguish, and the sheer terror of being stuck out in the middle of nowhere without even a knife, Glass manages to keep his spirits up. It saves his life. One could easily imagine a lesser man simply giving up in this situation, but we're pretty sure that the phrase "give up" isn't even in Glass's vocabulary.

Note that Kiowa isn't even telling Glass to stop his quest for revenge—he's merely asking him to put it on hold. Glass has no interest in this advice, however. Now, whether you chalk this up to bravery or just good, old-fashioned foolhardiness, you can't deny that it shows Glass's incredible determination.

While we've talked about Glass's determination in positive terms for the most part, the truth is that it's rooted in a very dark desire: revenge. Would Glass still have been so driven to survive if he hadn't been betrayed by Fitzgerald and Bridger? We're not so sure.

Determination is important, but it isn't worth a lick if you don't also have patience. In math terms: determination - patience = stupidity. Luckily for Glass, however, he has a good enough head on his shoulders to know that discretion is the better part of valor.