Survival and Resilience in Isola

Thematic Claim

In Isola, Allegra Goodman argues that survival and resilience are not pre-existing virtues but capacities forged through suffering, loss, and conscious choice. Marguerite de la Rocque does not emerge from her ordeal as an invincible heroine; instead, she endures physical deprivation, the deaths of her lover Auguste and her child, and psychological collapse, and gradually transforms her grief into a will to live for others. The novel insists that resilience is a process—messy, cyclical, and dependent on small acts of purpose and connection.

Tracing the Theme Through the Plot

1. Learning to Live on the Island (Chapters 22–24)

After Roberval maroons Marguerite, Auguste, and Damienne, the group faces immediate physical challenges. They inventory their meager supplies—seen in the retrieval list including "an axe, a little saw, a hoe, a trowel, a hammer, and a bag of nails" and "three fishhooks of different sizes." Marguerite, raised as a noblewoman, initially cannot contribute: she has never gathered wood or plucked a bird. Damienne refuses to let her sweep, saying "You were not brought up for this." This exclusion stings, but Marguerite begins to push against her own helplessness. She insists on planting a garden despite Damienne's warnings about thin soil. When the seedlings wither after three weeks, Marguerite sinks into despair, crying "I wish I’d never planted seeds." Yet this failure teaches her that survival depends on effort, not on luck or prayer alone. She begins to adopt Auguste’s pragmatism: "Judge by what you hear. Judge then by what you see and feel and taste."

2. The Failed Rescue and the Choice to Live (Chapter 30)

The most devastating test comes when three French ships appear on the horizon. Marguerite fires her arquebus, builds a signal fire, and shouts until her voice is hoarse, but the ships sail on. She realizes Roberval has deliberately abandoned her. Her initial reaction is rage—"Drown!" she cries—then despair: "We will die upon this island." She considers surrendering entirely. But then she looks at Damienne, blameless and resigned, and remembers Auguste’s words: "Work, and hunt, and try to live." In a pivotal moment, Marguerite declares, "We will live, and that will be revenge enough." She puts out the signal fire, shoulders her grief, and resolves to hunt alone. This scene marks the transition from hope for rescue to an internal commitment to endure on her own terms.

3. Winter, Loss, and Spiritual Rebirth (Chapters 33–35)

The final phase of Marguerite’s journey involves the deaths of Auguste and her child. After killing the bear (symbolized by the bear claw), she lapses into a near-feral state. She dreams of being torn apart and roasted, and she hides in her cave, refusing to read or pray. The breaking of the winter ice provides a turning point: she witnesses waves freezing as they crash, the tide "both dead and living." Overwhelmed by this beauty, she kneels and asks forgiveness—not for rescue but for her soul’s sickness. She resolves to "remember myself as God remembered me." She combs her hair, cleans her cave, begins a new calendar, and reads the story of Lazarus. She does not transform instantly; she acknowledges she is not Lazarus, but she returns to life through small, deliberate acts of order and care.

Character and Symbol Connections

Marguerite de la Rocque – The protagonist embodies resilience as a slow, painful reclamation of agency. She starts as a passive ward and ends as a hunter, provider, and caretaker.
Damienne – The nurse represents stubborn, quiet endurance. She never complains more as life worsens, and her resigned courage—"In any case, we have no choice"—teaches Marguerite to stop self-pitying and act for others.
Auguste Dupré – His rational love and memory guide Marguerite after his death. He models practical faith: he builds a calendar, prays, and insists on using the cittern’s strings for survival.
Roberval – The antagonist whose cruelty creates the need for resilience. His decision to sail past the island forces Marguerite to reject dependency and find meaning within her prison.
The Bear Claw – The bear is both a physical threat and a symbol of the wild, predatory forces Marguerite must overcome. She kills it, but the claw also represents the survival instinct she must embrace.
The Gold Ring (Claire’s Ring) – Marguerite’s ring given to Claire symbolizes her pre-island life of expected marriage and wealth. Abandoning hope of rescue means letting go of that identity.
The Cittern Instrument – The musical instrument, warped and unplayable on the island, represents the loss of art and refinement. Yet Auguste considers using its wire strings for practical needs—resilience means repurposing beauty for survival.
The Island (Isola) – The island itself is a prison that becomes a crucible. It is both "Isle of My Lady" and a place of "strange lesson" where "imprisoned, we were also free."

Complexity and Contradiction

The novel resists a simple message of triumph. Marguerite’s resilience is not heroic or joyful; it is grim and intermittent. She admits to hating the island and wishing she had died. After the ships pass, she holds onto anger as fuel: "We will live, and that will be revenge enough." This vengeful note complicates the idea of virtuous survival. Furthermore, her religious faith wavers: she cries that prayers are not answered, and after the deaths of Auguste and her child, she feels the Virgin offers no comfort. Her rebirth comes not through divine intervention but through witnessing the sublime indifference of nature—the ice shattering as waves freeze. She asks "Forgive me" but means forgiving her own despair and hiding. The novel suggests that resilience can coexist with bitterness and that spiritual renewal may arrive unasked.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Marguerite's upbringing affect her initial ability to survive? Marguerite was raised as a noblewoman and lacks practical skills. She cannot light a fire, gather wood, or pluck a bird. Damienne initially refuses to let her help, saying "You were not brought up for this." This gap between her training and her reality forces her to learn from scratch, making her survival a process of unlearning privilege.

2. What role does Damienne play in Marguerite's resilience? Damienne models endurance without complaint. After the failed rescue, Marguerite notices that Damienne "complained less" as life became harder. Damienne’s resigned acceptance—"In any case, we have no choice"—shames Marguerite out of self-pity and motivates her to provide for her nurse.

3. Why does the failed rescue in Chapter 30 become a turning point? Roberval’s deliberate abandonment destroys any hope of external salvation. Marguerite realizes she must live for her own reasons. She explicitly rejects the idea of rescue and chooses revenge as a motive: "We will live, and that will be revenge enough." This bitter choice is the foundation of her independence.

4. What does the breaking ice scene in Chapter 33 reveal about Marguerite's spiritual state? After a winter of despair and animal-like existence, Marguerite witnesses waves freezing as they crash—"both dead and living." This paradox of beauty and destruction reminds her of God’s presence in what she cannot understand. She asks forgiveness not for rescue but for her "soul, which had been sick." The scene marks her return to faith and order.

5. How does the theme of resilience connect to the symbol of the cittern? The cittern warps in the damp and cannot be tuned. Yet Auguste suggests using its wire strings for something practical. The instrument symbolizes the repurposing of art and culture for survival. Marguerite’s own resilience involves discarding old identities (noblewoman, lover, mother) and fashioning a new self from the wreckage.