Soul Surfer

Throughout the story of Bethany Hamilton’s accident and the aftermath, there are numerous references to Hamilton’s family, her group of friends, her neighbors on the island, her fellow surfers, and her fellow Christians. These groups form her community, and in every reference to them, Hamilton relates how her community’s support shaped her before, during, and after the shark attack.

Hamilton’s parents and brothers form the innermost circle of her community, along with Alana, her best friend. The love these people have for Hamilton is unconditional. As Hamilton describes it, “Win or lose, they think I’m awesome, and I know I have their love and support” (46). Speaking of life on the island of Kauai, Hamilton describes a community of people who look out for and actively help one another: “[I]f your car breaks down on the side of the road, chances are good that someone you know will come by real soon and help out” (54). Describing the people who share her love for competitive surfing, Hamilton writes, “The surfing community, especially in the kids’ division, is like one big happy family” (41).

The most direct description of community, and the one that most closely parallels the biblical ideal of community, comes when Hamilton explains what the Hawaiian term aloha means. Hamilton writes, “[I]t means love. [...] Take the folks from my church: after we got home [from the hospital], we discovered they had come into our house and radically cleaned the place, putting flowers everywhere” (146). Members of a community share in the good things, but also the pain and suffering, of other members. Speaking of the shark attack, Hamilton writes, “When something like this happens, you’re not the only one who feels pain and suffering. You’re not the only one who is left with a scar” (195).

Community, Hamilton explains, is where you find support. In return, you are called to support others, which Hamilton does after her accident by reaching out to people who have also suffered trauma.

Resilience is a lesson Hamilton learned very early in life. She is the younger sister of two athletic brothers who included her in their games and taught her to pick herself up when she fell. As she became a competitive athlete, in both soccer and surfing, Hamilton’s father reiterated the importance of resilience. Hamilton writes, “Dad would tell us, ‘There’s no sense in getting upset or being sore’ [...] Tomorrow’s another day” (39).

The lesson Hamilton received from her family and from participating in athletics is that being resilient means accepting losses as well as wins. Resilience requires a long view, in which one less or setback is part of a much bigger picture. Hamilton was taught that, because a setback is only one piece of a larger puzzle, it should not be dwelled on, but rather accepted and placed in its proper context.

There are several references to the importance of physical resilience scattered throughout the text, but it is clear that Hamilton believes that mental resilience is critical. She credits her own mental resilience with letting her survive the shark attack and maintain a positive attitude as she adjusts to her new life. She writes, “Every once in a while, I’ll blame things on only having one arm, but then I stop myself because I don’t want to have that kind of attitude” (218). Hamilton’s physical and mental resilience are on full display in Chapter 13, when Hamilton tries surfing again only six weeks after the shark attack, learning how to balance with only one arm, and conquering her fear of falling or being victim to a second shark attack.