Themes in The Boat by Alistair MacLeod - 1036 Words

â€Å"Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.† At some point in life one is faced with a decision which will define the future, but only time will tell whether or not the choice was right or wrong. The Boat by Alistair MacLeod demonstrates that an individual should make their own decisions in life, be open to new experiences and changes, and that there is no way to obtain something, without sacrificing something else. The story describes the protagonist who is coming of age as torn between the two worlds which he loves equally, represented by his mother and his father. He is now mature and is reflecting on his life and the difficulty of his childhood as a fisherman. Despite†¦show more content†¦The father knows that his dream of knowledge and university will never be fulfilled, and consequently, tries to accomplish this goal through his children. In doing so, he also sacrifices his relationship with his wife who despises him and his â€Å"room and all it stood for† (MacLeod 266). They both try to maintain a positive atmosphere in the house, regardless of their differences, by working hard to raise their children. As the only boy in the family, the narrator idolizes his father and eventually begins to believe that â€Å"it was very much braver to spend a life doing what you really do not want rather than selfishly following forever your own dreams and inclinations† (MacLeod 274). As a result, the narrator promises to help and protect his father until he dies, and the father, in return commits to the ultimate sacrifice of death to set his son free. The author is showing that true love goes beyond life itself and that no sacrifice is too great for a parent in order to give their children the chance of a better life. By implementing the seed of knowledge in his children, the father knew that his sacrifice is not in vain,Show MoreRelatedEssay on the Short Story The Boat789 Words   |  4 Pageslife, we must follow these ethics. When we follow these rules for a while, it begins to turn into a theme. These rules begin to define what we do and more importantly, who we are. This concept is shown clearly by Alistair MacLeod in â€Å"The Boat†. The family, especially the mother and father, clearly shows the themes of love versus hate, dedication, and tradition. Love versus hate is a strong theme shown by the family. The mother loves that she has a husband who is a fisherman, but the father hatesRead MoreLiterary Success in Alistair MacLeod ´s The Boat660 Words   |  3 Pages Alistair MacLeod’s â€Å"The Boat† is a literary success on many levels. His ability to evoke mood, sustain a meaningful theme and a strong setting make this piece particularly impressive. One element MacLeod masters is choice of word. He is constantly using words that emit tone and connect to the over arching theme of water that never disappears. The words used are more often then not water vocabulary, connecting to the water theme. From the opening line to the closing line we are given amazing wordsRead MoreLost Salt Gift of Blood1352 Words   |  6 PagesRegionalism in the World of Alistair McLeod Joan N. Mu**** Student No. ******* Thursday, October 4th, 2012 Regionalism in the World of Alistair McLeod Imagery is used fairly often in the eastern coast of Canada may have an unforgiving and rather harsh streak, but many Canadians choose to raise their families and practice their craft there. In both short stories by Alistair McLeod; The Lost Salt Gift of Blood and The Boat, the setting of the Canadian east coast is used to develop both theRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Boat By Alistair Macleod1343 Words   |  6 PagesThe theme in both the short story The Boat by Alistair Macleod and the poem Warren Pryor by Alden Nowlan have direct connections. Both works reflect the theme of obligation versus aspiration, and promote the message that it is difficult to be happy with a career chosen in order to please someone else. In each story, the protagonists feel compelled to follow a path that is not their own, but rather one chosen for them by their parents who are blind to the protagonist’s true desires. The narrator inRead MoreThe Importance of Traditions in A Rose For Emily and The Boa t935 Words   |  4 Pagessub theme in both short stories, A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Boat by Alistair Macleod. In the former, the loss of tradition is seen by Miss Emily losing her way of life in the old South. In the latter, the boat is the tradition for the story. The tradition is lost as outsiders come in and the daughters leave with the effeminate strangers and abandon the community and the cherished way of life of their mother. However, this tradition represented by Emily’s house and the boat gradually