In the story, the Mariner recalls his tale to the best man of a wedding. The Mariner is on a ship and the crew spots an albatross through the fog. The albatross is said to be a good omen so the crew is happy and welcomes the bird. The albatross follows the ship for days until the Mariner shoots it with his crossbow. The shipmates are angered so they take the body and wrap it around his neck as penence. The Mariner doesn't say why he shoots the bird. " 'God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus! - Why look'st thou so?'- With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross."
A spirit then follows the ship and a curse decsends on them. All of the crew drop dead except the Mariner. He feels lonliness and fixedness on the moon and the stars. Then he feels his soul refreshed. What is the Mariner's salvation and what absolves him of his sins? Why do you think he killed the Albatross?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think that all along the Mariner's salvation was the Albatross itself. The Albatross is said to be a good omen. This is when I think fate comes into play. The Mariner shot the Albatross because ("I had killed the bird, that made the breeze blow.") The crew got upset, so they hung the sea bird's corpse around the Mariner's neck. Since the Albatross was with him (good omen).. he was saved from any danger to come.
ReplyDeleteSome examples that the Albatross was his good omen..
When everyone on the ship had dry throats and couldn't speak, the Mariner somehow thought to bite his own arm, and suck his own blood in order to inform the crew that he saw a sail.
When they came across Life-In-Death.. all of the crew dropped dead, except for the Mariner.
I agree that the albatross was the key to his survival, but by killing it I think it somehow placed a curse on him. Instead of making him perish at sea, the curse killed everyone else on board leaving him to suffer on the edge of death. There are fates worse then death and I feel he endured one. Starving out at sea baking in the blister sun and watching the whole crew die. So his salvation came with a price that will haunt him forever.
ReplyDeleteWhy he killed the bird is still questionable, and his being heavily disputed in the other blog. I feel he did it out of a human impulse, I cannot say if it is out of anger, fear, curiosity, or some other trait.
I agree with Steve. I don't think that it was his salvation at all, nor do I think he had salvation. He is clearly forever cursed, if not still literally then by this experience that he had. Because he stayed alive during this scenario, he has to forever live with these memories that haunt him. The only good that comes from it is that he warns others with his tale.
ReplyDelete- Elizabeth Anderson
I agree with Coral when it comes to the Albatross saving the Mariner. Having it with him kept him safe. I also agree with Steve when he talks about the Mariner's faith being worse then death. He watched his crew suffer & die, but he also suffered with them. The look in their eyes as they died & stared at him will never be forgotten. He will be haunted by that for the rest of his life, which is essentially worse than death.
ReplyDeleteI believe that he is punished for his sin because he killed the albatross. His salvation comes when sees the snakes and life that it brings him. He becomes happy that he is able to see something move again. When he killed the albatross he didn't have an appreciation for life. Thus he did kill the albatross for no good reason, but I can agree that he killed it because the wind stopped blowing.
ReplyDelete