Sea Story Book Analysis

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Sea Story(2012) by A.S Byatt. An analysis by Frederik Jægergaard. Harold was born and raised close to the sea. He was raised by his parents, who both had an eternal love for the waves and marine life. His mother was an English teacher, who wrote: “fierce little poems about the waves and weather” (p. 1, ll. 8-9) and his father was an oceanograph. Despite growing up by the Filey shore and growing an affection for the ocean, Harold chose to follow his mother’s footsteps and decided to study English literature. During his stay at Oxford University, he meets a girl named Laura. “Love at first sight was not something he had believed in until it happened” (p. 2 ll. 46-47). Harold falls in love with her, at first sight. Luckily, she invites him…show more content…
Her death is very ironic, considering Harold removed his netting when they first met, eliminating the potential for her getting entangled by it. The ending of the bottle’s voyage is incredibly tragic. After the bottle is dissolved into a state beyond recognition, Laura finds it. But she does not see the bottle as a sign of affection but “The message she read was the human occupation and corruption of the masterless ocean”.(p. 4 ll. 129-130) You could draw parallels between the ocean and the main characters understanding of women. His love for women is objectified as the ocean. Harold’s predilection for literature abstractifies his point of view into something literary. This might be what stands in his way to understand women as well as the ocean. When Harold sticks his love letter in a plastic bottle with a signet ring and throws it into the ocean, he is oblivious that he actually commits the worst crime, an ocean lover could imagine; contaminating the ocean with man made things. This is of course not what he intended; he merely wanted to send his love to his chosen one. But he does not think about the consequences his romantic actions lead to. Even though he has a deep love for the ocean (or women), Harold is oblivious on how to treat
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