Survival and Adaptation Tom King and his family are not wealthy. In order for them to survive Tom had to box. Tom King was very old to be boxing. He had to change his way of fighting to even have a remote chance of wining. In Tracks by Louise Erdrich Eli and Nanapush had to learn to live with each other to survive. Nevertheless Tom King and Eli both did what they had to do too survive. They are good examples of strength and determination. Tom King was not a rich man but a poor one. Jack London writes that Tom had to send his children to bed so that they might forget about dinner. This portrays what kind of life Tom and his family live in. they live life day by day