Friendship plays a key role in the I Survived series. Through his experiences with the shark attack, Chet learns that he can overcome adversity and survive when he trusts others. Chet initially struggles to connect with others or trust that people want him in their life. His insecurities intensify after his new friends play a prank on him at the water, staging a fake shark attack and leaving Chet humiliated. After his retaliation prank fails and drives a further wedge between Chet and his friends, Chet goes as far as to suggest that he should just run away to California to rejoin his parents, once again abandoning a chance at a stable life in Elm Hills. Uncle Jerry convinces Chet that overcoming adversity requires staying put and building a sense of belonging: “A person has to face up to things. You never solve anything by running away” (51). Chet shows that he has internalized this lesson when he jumps into the water to save Sid during the shark attack. Chet sustains an injury to his leg in the process, but in return his friends help save his life by pulling him out of the mouth of the shark.