The Legend of the Haunted Ship

Lurking Louis Urban legends can be effective conveyors of entertainment and morals. We all have heard urban legends during our lives, whether it was in a dorm room, the dinner table, or around the campfire, but rarely do we take the time to fully appreciate the value of the stories. Urban legends have this rare ability to make us question reality. We have this feeling in our minds that says “Oh, this cannot possible be real,” but then our imagination questions that and reels us in and plants a lingering doubt. David Emery, a writer and follower of urban folklore, defines urban legends as “told [to be] true, and plausible enough to be believed.”

The beginning of ocean exploration occurred in the early 1800s, however in recent years, Robert Ballard, a marine biologist, was able to advance these expeditions (especially for the U.S. Navy) through his discoveries of famous shipwrecks and archaeological explorations in the late 1970s. With more in depth ocean exploration, the U.S. Navy was able to decipher whether previous submarine wrecks containing nuclear weapon affected the environment or were they neutralized by the years of water contamination. His findings allowed the government to make decisions on how to handle radioactive weapons as well as assess its impact on the environment. Ballard’s expeditions led to the amelioration of the U.S. Navy’s power, management of threatening

Ghost stories have been popular throughout the ages. During the nineteenth century, there was a sudden boom and ghost stories were made popular. Storytelling was the main source of entertainment as there weren't any films, TV's or computer games. People would gather around in groups telling or reading each other stories. The stories were made more real by the superstitions people kept and as the rooms were lit by dim candle light, it built a sense of atmosphere. Most ghost stories were written in the nineteenth century period, so people could imagine such things happening to them, in the places they lived. As storytelling was the main form of entertainment, people had nothing to compare it to, so it built tension, suspense and fear. In the nineteenth century there weren't many scientific advances. Everything was blamed on higher or supernatural forces, therefore, people believed the explanations given in ghost stories. I will be comparing and contrasting four ghost stories which were all written in the nineteenth century. They are ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855 and ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins, 1855.

“It took two hours and forty minutes for the titanic to sink, just long enough for 2,208 tragic performances to unfold, with the ships lights blazing” (Sides 2). April 1912 the white star line’s pride, the titanic, left for its voyage that would change history forever. While traveling through the Atlantic Ocean they collided with an ice berg causing fractures throughout the boat. The ice water filled the compartments causing the front of the boat to weigh down the back, separating the boat in two. Research shows that the cause of the Titanic’s sinking was due to a dramatic increase in the probability of running into an iceberg and its high speed while traveling through the North Atlantic Shipping Lanes in 1912. As a consequence of the sinking, the U.S. Coast Guard now runs the international ice patrol and monitors the ice bergs by radar and satellite. Also it is now required to carry binoculars and radio connector all times on a ship.

Introduction The book “In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex” by Nathaniel Philbrick is tragic, eyes widening and heart wrenching where all the morals and ethics are gravely subjected to situation and questioned when it comes to survival. What they must do for survival? How man love their lives and no matter what strikes upon them, holler from behind, ambush their morale, yet they want to keep going just for the sake of living. The book is epitome of such a situation that encounters survival over morality.

The nonfiction novel, "A Night To Remember" by Walter Lord is about the well known disaster of the luxury cruise ship, the "Titanic". This story takes place on the ship and on its many decks while sailing along the Atlantic Ocean. Walter Lord wrote this book in 1955, but the famous collision occurred on April 14, 1912 at 11:40 P.M. In this novel the author, Walter Lord wants to show what happened at every moment on the colossal cruse liner.

It all started when I was enjoying a late-night game of poker with some friends of mine, including by best friend, Joe Allen. There was a small rumble and my noticed that my glass of fine wine was disturbed a bit.

In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway describes an old fisherman and the unfortunate trials he faces as his "luck" runs out. Through the novel, the fisherman, Santiago, replicates Hemingway's ideal man, a noble hero. Hemingway had a Code of Behavior that he himself followed. He had morals that were strict and an appreciation for instinct and human nature.

A Nineteenth Century Ghost Story in The Turn of The Screw by Henry James The Turn of The Screw is a classic Gothic ghost novella with a wicket twist set in a grand old house at Bly. The story is ambiguous; we never fully know whether the apparitions exist or not and we are left with many more questions than answers. The Governess is left in charge of two young children, Miles and Flora, of whom she later becomes obsessed with, describing them as 'angelic'. She has no contact with her employer from London, the children's enigmatic uncle once there, sparking suspicions of the children being unwanted. The anonymous Governess' obsessive nature is taken to another level, with the darker side of Bly appearing.

“Thank you. You make me happy. I hope no fish will come along so great that he will prove us wrong (Hemingway 23),” slurred Santiago as he exchanged words with his trusty companion Manolin in the beginning of Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea. As these words left his mouth, Santiago did not realize the treacherous road on which he was about to stumble upon. However, as Santiago was totted away from his homeland by a hefty marlin, he was able to adapt to the changes that the voyage threw at him. Dehydration, burn wounds, and fatigue accompanied Santiago and took a toll on the old man’s aging body. As his skiff proceeded to carve through the white ocean foam for two days, the marlin finally emerged in a cluster of circles. Once the marlin floated close enough to the skiff, Santiago raised his stealthy harpoon and drove it through the scaly skin of the marlin with great force. He repeatedly drove the sharp object into his trophy. The reward may have been collected, but the worst was still yet to come. As the marlin was drug by the skiff, a trail of blood was left behind the small wooden boat. The bloody water attracted sharks the slowly devoured the eighteen foot marlin over a small time, but where fended of by the blades of wrath delivered by Santiago. All of these events that took place on Santiago’s sea voyage, revealed the true characteristics belonging to Santiago. Throughout Ernest Hemmingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, the main character reveals his honor, courage, and endurance, and faith.