enc il ▁as ▁his ▁di ary , ▁detail ing ▁his ▁rise ▁and ▁fall ▁in ▁the ▁medical ▁profession ▁and ▁his ▁determ ination ▁to ▁surv ive ▁this ▁or de al , ▁get ▁even ▁with ▁the ▁people ▁that ▁" s cre wed ▁him ▁over ", ▁and ▁return ▁to ▁prosper ity . ▁ ▁Over ▁time , ▁the ▁di ary ▁entries ▁document ing ▁P ine ' s ▁day - to - day ▁activities ▁become ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁dis joint ed ▁and ▁ra ving , ▁reve aling ▁his ▁slow ▁mental ▁decay ▁and ▁event ual ▁ins an ity ▁caused ▁by ▁star v ation , ▁isol ation , ▁and ▁drug ▁use . ▁Det erm ined ▁to ▁hold ▁out ▁for ▁rescue , ▁he ▁goes ▁to ▁hor r ifying ▁lengths ▁to ▁surv ive . ▁He ▁e ats ▁insect s , ▁k el p ▁and ▁se ag ull s . ▁After ▁breaking ▁his ▁an k le ▁while ▁attempting ▁to ▁signal ▁an ▁air plane , ▁he ▁am put ates ▁his ▁own ▁foot , ▁then ▁real izes ▁he ▁has ▁to ▁eat ▁it ▁to ▁surv ive . ▁He ▁continues ▁to ▁am put ate ▁his ▁own ▁lim bs ▁to ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁food ▁source , ▁ing est ing ▁the ▁hero in ▁as ▁a ▁cru de ▁an est h etic ▁during ▁these ▁operations . ▁Although ▁he ▁initially ▁keeps ▁track ▁of ▁the ▁dates ▁( the ▁entries ▁begin ▁January ▁ 2 6 ), ▁his ▁increasing ▁mental ▁inst ability ▁causes ▁him ▁to ▁lose ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁exact ▁number ▁of ▁days ▁passed ▁( fin ally ▁ending ▁his ▁entries ▁with ▁" F eb