Pincher Martin

Speaking to himself, Martin lays out some basic survival guidelines. First, he must secure food, water, and shelter to keep his body alive. Second, he must anticipate that he will become sick. Third, he must fight against madness and hallucinations by talking to himself, reasoning that “[i]n normal life to talk out loud is a sign of insanity. Here it is proof of identity” (68). Finally, he must continue to take steps—like building the stone man—to maximize his chances of rescue.

In another strategy to maintain his sanity, Martin names various portions of the rock. For example, the stone man is “the Dwarf,” which sits on “the Look-out,” while “Food Cliff” is where he finds mussels and anemones, and “the Red Lion” is where he eats them.

Back in his cave, Martin notices that the freshwater pool is getting low, but he’s confident it will rain again soon. Drifting to sleep, he ponders the ritualized nature of eating, comparing it to violence and sex. The thought of sex conjures a memory of having sex with his colleague Alfred’s romantic partner, Sybil. While his current attitude toward this betrayal is unclear, his memory shows him reacting glibly and insensitively when Alfred walks in on him with in bed with Sybil.