In the heart of the sea is the story of survival. The film draws the audience into the conflict between both man and nature and man and man.Set in the 1800s in an ocean that is both beautiful and frightening, the crew of the whaling ship Essex must fight for their lives against the great white whale and the elements. The theme of Devotion is prevalent through the film. As Captain Pollard and Owen Chase along with the crew set sail, the danger of the sea rises. Most people in that era need oil to light their homes and workplace, so whalers are needed to hunt whales for oil.These brave men dedicate their lives to bring back barrels of oil for the sake of others. The sense of belonging to the sea helps whalers have courage to obtain hauls of
Analysis: Melville's Great American Novel draws on both Biblical and Shakespearean myths. Captain Ahab is "a grand, ungodly, god-like man … above the common" whose pursuit of the great white whale is a fable about obsession and over-reaching. Just as Macbeth and Lear subvert the natural order of things, Ahab takes on Nature in his
...He is still anchored to his past and transmits the message that one makes their own choices and should be satisfied with their lives. Moreover, the story shows that one should not be extremely rigid and refuse to change their beliefs and that people should be willing to adapt to new customs in order to prevent isolation. Lastly, reader is able to understand that sacrifice is an important part of life and that nothing can be achieved without it. Boats are often used as symbols to represent a journey through life, and like a captain of a boat which is setting sail, the narrator feels that his journey is only just beginning and realizes that everyone is in charge of their own life. Despite the wind that can sometimes blow feverishly and the waves that may slow the journey, the boat should not change its course and is ultimately responsible for completing its voyage.
Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” has long been acclaimed as a fascinating exemplar of Naturalism, generating many studies that range from the indifference of Nature to the “psychological growth of the men through the experience” (466). The psychological growth happens to every man on the boat, yet is mostly depicted through the voice of the Correspondent and in the form of his questioning and contemplating their desperate situation. Being a correspondent, who is innately able as well as inclined to interpret and communicate ideas, the Correspondent is singled out to articulate the mind of his three fellowmen and of Stephen Crane himself, should the story be seen partly as a journalistic account of his own adventure. Therefore throughout the story, the Correspondent takes the mediating role between the men and the outside world, combines a spokesperson with an interlocutor, and reflects the men’s growing awareness to the indifference of Nature.
The seagulls in this story are used to symbolize human frailty and nature’s indifference to it. As the men continue their journey through the fierce waves, Crane incorporates the use of imagery to describe the nature around them by giving it gloomy colors that are often used to represent death. Toward the end of the story, as the men are still hoping to be rescued, they encounter a shark swimming around the boat that symbolizes that something bad is about to happen. At the end of the story, readers learn that the Oiler, Billie, dies, but if one pays close enough attention to the detail used in this story there is enough evidence to foreshadow the death of one character. In this story, “The Open Boat,” Stephen Crane uses imagery and symbolism through the use of colors and objects in nature to depict the characters lack of power over
“The Open Boat” uses vivid metaphors to enhance both the magnificent, yet overwhelming nature of the sea. Crane successfully illustrated a situation that isolated the four men, encouraging them to use the elements of the sea that they do not understand. The four men are stranded and isolated, with no help except what they are
We’re given short or no descriptions of the crewmembers. All we know is that the cook has fat forearms and the captain is injured. These descriptions leave it up to the reader to create these characters in their mind, in doing so they are creating a personal connection. In many ways the reader can relate to the crewmembers. The correspondent (also the narrator) says," If I am going to be drowned, why…was I allowed to come thus far...” Its descriptive and forceful and relatable so its makes people start thinking about their own situations. People usually try their best but they don’t always succeed. If anything we do is never going to be good enough, then why try? At this point people begin to claim and demand an explanation from whatever god they worship. Current situations often trigger thoughts of our past. The correspondent relates this to his childhood when he saw a dying soldier and felt as if it was not important but now when he’s in the situation he realizes how “stern, mournful, and fine” it really was. The only thing that is given specific descriptions constantly is the boat and the water. Crane personifies non-living things and gives them more importance than the main characters! The crewmember’s perspective/descriptions of the boat and water change throughout the story. The water is chaotic, bumpy, and dangerously high in the beginning but as the men begin to loose hope and challenge the gods, the water is no longer mentioned and if it is its calm. Also, the seagulls are flying around and the weather does not change regardless of the men’s situation. Therefore enforcing the idea that nature is indifferent to man. The crewmembers desperately use confirmation bias, the tendency to search for or
They also put accents on rebellion against authority and existing rules if the rebellion could be justified by a higher authority. These Romantic tenets are demonstrated in In The Heart of The Sea when Chase, a very experienced whaler, becomes the first mate to a less experienced Captain Pollard. Chase demonstrates great skill and heroism, and challenges Pollard's leadership. Chase becomes the leader in the minds of the crew when they are in a survival situation and Chase’s rebellion to Pollard's leadership is justified by the crew’s
So what does the whale or Moby Dick represent? The author leaves that choice for the reader to interpret and find purpose
Before affiliating the crew aboard the ship with Moby Dick, there are some comparisons to be made between them and ocean inhabitants in general. While living in the ocean environment the men begin to acquire the same survival techniques as some of the organisms in the ocean. The manner in which the whalers go about slaughtering the whales is much like the way that the sharks react to the whale carcass being held stagnate in the water. "....because such incalculable hosts of sharks gather round the moored carcass, that were he left so for six hours, say, on a stretch, little more that the skeleton would be visible by mornong"(Melville 328). These sharks are savages in the face of sustenance. In most cases the sheer size of the whale prohibits it from being captured and consumed by the sharks. The only chance that they have at these huge beasts is when they are slung along side the whaling ships. Once they have their opening to this plethora of meat it becomes a barbaric feeding frenzy. These actions of the sharks reflect the actions of the whalers when taking part in the slaying of a whale. "Soon ranging up by his flank, Stubb, firmly planting his knee in the clumsy cleat, darted dart after dart into the flying gish.
As stated by the cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, “Even with the whale just a stone’s throw from the Essex, Chase did not see it as a threat “His appearance and attitude gave us at first no cause for alarm.””(81) When a whale the magnitude as describe by Chase and the crew is spotted heading towards the ship you are aboard it is cause for alarm, but the men of the Essex did not frenzy due to Chase’s calm demeanor and their trust in his judgment. If they had regarded Chase as purely a first mate panic would have broke out aboard the ship, but the crew looked to Chase for guidance. In the Heart of the Sea presents this sentence to the reader because most people have never experienced a whale barreling towards their ship, but they can relate to looking up to a mentor in a distressing situation for guidance. This sentence allows the reader to grow a stronger connect with the characters and a deeper understanding of the crews dynamics. Unlike Chase, Pollard has issues converting to his new
A leader and a fatherly figure, the Captain serves as the men's compass and keeper of order. His firm navigational commands and calm demeanor make the men a “ready-to-obey ship's company” regardless of their lack of practical experience. Ironically, the Captain is also the most physically useless man on board. Injured from the sinking, the Captain is filled with a quiet despair over his own ability to survive. A hardened seaman, he believes in the idea that a captain should perish with his ship -- to live at sea and to die at sea. The Captain even clings to the dinghy upon being rescued as if he feels a sense of obligation to remain with his boat in the briny deep. Though distraught over the fate of his ship and crewman, the Captain takes solace in providing for the dinghy’s survivors. Occupied with the well-being of others, the Captain does not contemplate his purpose or circumstances in life; he uses his energy to protect his crew and vessel, finding a renewed sense of meaning in this lesser form of leadership. Even when a callous seagull attempts to nip his open wounds, the Captain gently waves the bird away, respecting its life. The Cook on the other hand, attempts to swat it with an
The waves are violent and “most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in small-boat navigation.” (1352). The waves toss and jolt the small dinghy, which creates fear among the crew. After one tumultuous wave passed, another followed close behind, and “it was not difficult to imagine that this particular wave was the final outburst of the ocean, the last effort of the grim water.” (1354). The dinghy was no match for the waves, and “the craft pranced and reared and plunged like an animal.” (1353). The narrator describes the setting from third person point of view which encompasses the different characteristics of the individuals who make up the crew. The narrator is simply an observer and does not change the plot of the story, but he gives insight on the men’s thoughts. The four men on the boat form a brotherhood that is “more than a mere recognition of what was best for the common safety. There was…a quality that was personnel and heart-felt.” (1356). The men are in the same situation, face the same problems, and together their support keeps them united. They are devoted to each other out of respect, and dedicated to their goal as a group.
People's dreams can make them insane. One person can be entirely focused on a particular event that the event soon begins to take over their life and influence others. Captain Ahab's intent is finding and killing Moby Dick, the whale that maimed and disfigured him years ago. His obsession with this whale puts many others in danger, such as Ishmael, Starbuck, and himself. Captain Ahab uses his shipmates as bait for Moby Dick himself. The day the ship leaves the dock on a search for whales, the men are trapped in a world gone mad with no escape. Ishmael, Starbuck, and Captain Ahab are all trapped in an unfortunate tragedy.
"The Seafarer" creates a storyline of a man who is "lost" at sea. There is a major reference to the concept of the sea and how it "captures" the soul and leaves a lonely feeling. The character is set to know the consequence of the sea but something keeps calling him back to it. "And yet my heart wanders away, My soul roams with sea, the whales' home, wandering to the widest corners of the world, returning ravenous with desire, Flying solitary, screaming, exciting me to the ocean, breaking oaths on the curve of a wave." (lines 58-64).
The physical journey of Moby Dick is depicted by the information gained of the labor intensive actions performed on the Pequod as well as other whaling ships. Life on whaling ships does not seem very relaxed. Many hours of sleep are lost at night, some do not sleep at all, and when you are not sleeping you are working. Constantly lowering the smaller boats into the water, killing the whale, and towing the lifeless mammal back to the main ship are quite a task. Many dangers are associated with this physical journey. For example, great danger is caused from men being thrown overboard traveling to go kill the whale which can lead to great injury or death.