Allows The Reader example essay topic

"You know from the start that the Andrea Gail is doomed, but Junger keeps the suspense level high nevertheless, putting you on-board and making the lure of fishing understandable, the fate of these men memorable" Stated Men's Journal; Yet, how does Sebastian Junger do it exactly, how does he keep the reader interested in the "Perfect Storm" knowing the outcome of the Andrea Gail? It's simple, Junger uses a massive amount of in-depth detail and information by creating flash points enabling the reader to actually put themselves in an extreme position of a sword fisherman without physically having to be there. Junger explains just exactly how brutal and hard, not to mention intense it is to be a fisherman while following certain elements of fiction, describing the risks of the fishermen, emphasizing on the roughness of the storm, and imagery. His unique usage of facts, descriptive words / phrases, and situations other commercial fishermen were in, completely opens the reader's imagination and allows them to be aboard the Andrea Gail. Nieto 2 Throughout "The Perfect Storm" Junger used elements of fiction. Hayden White states, "Elements mean nothing historically in themselves".

Which is true simply because we have to interpret them. Therefore, Junger knew he had an overwhelming story to tell and in order to tell it he followed certain steps just like a fiction novel. First, he had to come up with a plot line, which in this case ended up being sort of an epic. Second, he knew the setting would be October 1991 at sea. Third, he used mythos of the sea, followed by foreshadowing / personification. While following these particular steps Junger was able to allow the reader to mentally put himself or herself in Gloucester and aboard the Andrea Gail.

While reading "The Perfect Storm" the reader notices that sword fishermen and other commercial fisherman deal with multiple risks. One major and very important risk they take is the possibility of losing their own life. Thankfully, Junger gives many facts and descriptions enabling the reader to indulge in these risks without actually having to step foot upon the Andrea Gail. Most of the facts lead the reader to believe sword fishing is extremely dangerous and deadly. For instance, Junger lets the reader know that, "Swordfish are not gentle animals. They swim through schools of fish slashing wildly with their swords, Nieto 3 trying to eviscerate as many as possible; then they feast.

Swordfish have attacked boats, pulled fishermen to their deaths, slashed fishermen on deck" (62-63). This statement enables the reader to imagine themselves taking an enormous risk while traveling through the Grand Banks and catching swordfish knowing how devious they are without physically having to be on the boat; which in that case excites the reader. Going through the storm is another example where Junger enables the reader to put themselves in the position of Captain Billy Tyne, Alfred Pierre, David 'Sully's ulli van, Mike 'Bugsy' Moran, Dale 'Murph' Murphy, and Bobby Shatford. When reading a fact such as, "The first hundred-foot wave spikes the graph at eight p. m., and the second one spikes it at midnight. For the next two hours, peak wave heights stay at a hundred feet and winds hit eighty miles an hour... They are among the very highest waves measured anywhere in the world, ever" (150); Allows the reader to create an image in their mind.

An image, which allows them aboard the Andrea Gail trying to empower these massive one-hundred-foot waves with the winds blowing so hard, Nieto 4 it sounds as if they " re moaning. Also, the air full of water due to the speeds of the wind leaving welts all over their face not to mention making it extremely hard to breathe. As the storm continues and encounters Tyne, Pierre, Sullivan, Moran, Murphy, and Shatford's lives Junger continues on with the imagery. He gives the reader the chance to mentally drown without physically having to touch water.

Junger does so by using descriptions such as, "Until the break point, a drowning person is said to be undergoing 'voluntary apnea', choosing not to breathe. Lack of oxygen to the brain causes a sensation of darkness closing in from all sides, as in a camera aperture stopping down" (180). Not only does this quote allow the reader to imagine him or herself in the ocean drowning, it also puts into perspective just how the fisherman aboard the Andrea Gail downed the night of "The Perfect Storm". Junger knew he had only a few facts on the actual storm and what actually happened to the Andrea Gail. For that matter he created what were like flash points or slices in the story and put in past events or historical facts about other instances similar to the Andrea Gail.

He also used many descriptions about commercial fishing enabling the reader to turn the page Nieto 5 knowing what's going to happen in the end. Therefore, because of these descriptive facts / quotes the readers put themselves in the extreme dangers of commercial fishing without physically having to be there, leaving the reader to think what could possibly happen next while knowing the overall outcome and continue to read the story.