A Miracle To The Houseboat Analysis

Explain how the author uses details of sights and sounds to help you picture the setting in your mind as you read.

In the short story, “The Boat” by Alistair Macleod, symbolism is used to represent an abstract idea. The boat, being a major symbol of the story was the way of life for the family. As the story goes on, the boat starts to make the family feel confined giving them a choice to leave or stay with the boat. There were symbols that impacted the story that had connection towards the boat. Chain bracelets, the father’s clothes, the books that the father read are all symbols that tied to the boat. The father's chain bracelets and clothes represent the father feeling trapped as a fisherman since he never changes out of them. We find out more about the characters and their personal connection with the boat and the other symbols and what it means to them. The family starts to fall apart due to the kids learning about the father’s books leading to them moving away from home. Symbolism is used when one thing is meant to represent something else adding meaning and emotion to the story which is well represented throughout the story.

Would you sacrifice your life and happiness for someone else to give them a life of perfection? Alistair Macleod; raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, known as the protagonist and author of The Boat began to realize that his happiness isn't the only thing that matters. He told his father that he will stay by his side as long as he lived. Then he was suddenly gone. Alistair had no idea whether his father left because the sea wasn’t the right life for Alistair, or for himself. In The Boat Macleod conveys the idea that sacrificing happiness for another can ultimately lead to internal and external destruction through the use of irony, the protagonist's journey, and symbolism.

I think Miracle is a good name for Chad’s houseboat because, the houseboat they were offered was a the bottom of a muddy river. According to the text, in paragraph 12 sentence 5 it says, "It was a real mess," Chad remembers. "The most totally trashed thing you've seen in your life.". This tells us that the houseboat was trashed, and that is was a “Miracle” that they were able to get the boat up and running. Therefore, “Miracle” is a good name for the boat.

“The Boat” by Nam Le, is a serious of short stories that while representing a number of different themes throughout each story, the central theme regards the complicated relationship between children and their parents, with each story examining this theme in different ways. The opening and closing stories, “Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice”, and “The Boat”, not only develop the relationship between children and parents and how the child attempts to maintain this relationship; but also how they live their lives without their parents.

The short story “The Boat” by Alistair MacLeod is narrated by a man who comes from a fishing family. His mother’s side of the family has forever lived and worked by the sea and continues this tradition. The narrator’s father always wanted to be an academic, but worked on the boat to support his family. Through this passage it is evident that the parents’ characters clash in many aspects of their lives and are in constant conflict. MacLeod demonstrates this through the use of repetition, the contrast in other unrelated ideas, and through information that is withheld.

There are two types of leaders; the type that leads humbly and fairly, and the type that leads with force and intimidation. Both of these can be found in Richard Adams’ Watership Down. When danger seems to be approaching the Sandleford Warren, a group of rabbits gather and leave to form or find a new warren. Throughout their journey, a leader emerges; Hazel. The group also encounters an area called Efrafa, ruled by General Woundwort. Hazel and General Woundwort are complete opposites, specifically in how they became a leader, how they lead, and how they view their own role as a leader.

The book Watership Down by Richard Adams, is a story that was once told to his children and has been put into a novel. The book shows us the ups and downs during a journey of many rabbits. These rabbits talk in their own language and embark on a crazy journey to a new land. Sandleford is the current home of the rabbits and their journey will take them to Cowslips Warren, there part time home. We will focus on life in Sandleford, the life in Cowslips Warren and the individual rabbits who chose to go on this journey together.

"The Boat" by Alistair MacLeod is the story told from the perspective of university teacher looking back on his life. The narrator relates the first memories of his life until his father's death. The story focuses on the conflicting relation between the mother and the father, and their different perspectives on how their children should lead their lives. MacLeod uses features of setting to present the tension between tradition and freedom.

Sexuality and personal growth has and always will be a topic of conversation in real life and even in fiction short stories. The idea of sexuality has just recently not only became an open idea to discuss but one to also write and publish about. Both Alice Munro and John Updike both illustrate the idea of sexuality and personal growth in very different ways. “The Found Boat” by Alice Munro, deals with sexuality in an aggressive manner while “A&P” by John Updike, deals more with the idea of sexuality rather than sexuality itself. They also have very similar elements of fiction that include (but is not limited to) characters, theme and conflict. The characters relate in both

The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers is a bluegrass band that consist of five people who all play different instruments. Gary Antol is a very passionate guitarist, vocalist, and a mandolin player, he sang most of the songs, when did sing it was full of dignity and confidence. Libby Eddy is a very talented fiddler and vocalist, when she sang she sang with a very classic almost country sound with her thick accent and her powerful voice. Joe Dep is the banjo player and he play the banjo with strong enthusiasm. Ed Croft is a vocalist and a very talented bass player, he played bass in such an uplifting way. They are all from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

Symbolism allows writers to suggest their ideas within a piece of literature. This is found in most types of writing. Stephen Crane expresses this in his short story, The Open Boat. Through symbolism and allegory, it is demonstrated that humans live in a universe that is unconcerned with them. The characters in the story come face to face with this indifference and are nearly overcome by Nature’s lack of concern. This is established in the opening scenes, the “seven mad gods” and in the realization of the dying soldier. The descriptions that Crane uses in the opening scenes illustrate nature’s lack of concern for their tragedy. He discusses the waves in the ocean that continually roll and crest. The waves are problems or

To this day, I can recall every gruesome detail that happened on that single boat trip. Every smell. Every cry. Every death. Everything. Those days have changed my life. Once a free man living amongst my brothers’ in our home in Africa, to a chained man living amongst my masters.

The short essay “Going Ashore” was written by Jhumpa Lahiri. The author grew up in Rhode Island to Indian parents and was educated at Barnard College and Boston University. Her parents union is a result of arrange marriage. Her background serves as a map to the geographical and psychological state of her work. She is not only interested in examining the lives and experiences of immigrants but also the lives of their offspring. In Going Ashore, she had successfully captured the sense of dislocation and loss that immigrants’ children feel; the unhealable gap between parents culture and the culture you grew up with, between personal

As a flight attendant I've been to amazing places. While visiting Denver, Colorado, I had the opportunity to stopover to Sloane Gallery of Art. While there, I noticed an intriguing piece of work titled Ship of Fools by the Russian artist Viatcheslav Kalinin. This oil on canvas painting is 57 1⁄2 x 44 1⁄2 inches, created in 1991.