Forsaking all else for a cause

Various characters in the book decide that there is something that is worth giving up everything else. Strickland is the primary example of this idea. Strickland cares only about painting, and everything else is just a distraction. He does not mind living in dire poverty, with practically no food, as long as he can paint, and he cares nothing for relationships with other people, either. Because he is so single-minded, he seems cruel in his total lack of care for the feelings of those around him, and he also does not care what they think of his paintings. Even when he is dying, Strickland does not care, as long as he can keep painting. Captain Brunot feels the same way, but about creating his own island paradise, where he can grow old with his wife and be proud of his own work. He...