Quotation #1

1. ‘It was very evident that Lincoln Island was at such a distance from every country or island that it would be too hazardous to attempt to reach one in a frail boat.’ (Narrator)

The first half of Mysterious Island was what I would call a ‘realization period’. This was a time when the characters were learning more and more and realizing what their situation was. The quotation marked a turning point in this part of the story as the castaways finally discovered that they in fact were in danger of being stuck on this island forever. Before they had hope, but now it settled in; they would have to survive on their own. We experience it a lot in our lives, just on a smaller scale. It’s hard to compare that to something like a child not finding his/her parents in the last spot he/she saw them, but the panic that both persons experience is very similar.

The castaways reacted quite coolly, however, with a sort of acceptance, as if it was supposed to happen, which I felt like many chapters before. In many cases, it is much easier to create a negative plot change, and a pattern of many negative plot changes followed by a gradual increase in positive events and ultimately a ‘happy ending’ is prevalent in most works of literature.