Monday, February 25, 2008
Longitude, Latitude
Was anybody else slightly bored with all the longitude and latitude numbers and exact locations, beginning in chapter xiv when Gordan boards the Jane Guy? I did not find it necessary to know that Nightingale Island is latitude 37 26' S, longitude 12 24' W, and that Prince Edward's Island is latitude 46 53' S, longitude 37 46' E. This goes on for about 10 chapters- I felt like I was waiting for something to happen, but all I got was a bunch of geography.
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5 comments:
I actually skipped over a lot of the longitude, latitude parts. The discussion on how previous captains attempted to verify or discredit accounts of islands. I understand that that is somewhat what Captain Guy is doing but we the readers do not need exact locations. ESPECIALLY since this is all supposed to be written from memory basically and Pym shouldn't have a very good nautical sense.
Nice point Kevin, who would remember all those points unless they were really familiar with the area, and is anyone? I kind of thought about what was said last class about the seatology chapters in Moby Dick when I read that part to.
I hate to say it but I think the story should have ended with the rescue from the Jane Guy. I'm glad Kevin didn't like the longitude, Latitude parts either. I was starting that maybe it was a gender thing.
It's sad also- I was actually starting to enjoy the story- I like Poe's twisted tales. But of course Poe the businessman knew that people like watching life's horror show.
Didn't much care for the ending either. I felt cheated. I trudged through all the boring parts - question - Was the captain Cook mentioned the one from the one from the "Bounty?" I read that part and thought maybe things were starting to liven up but it fizzled out.
The natives didn't do much for me either. It would have been better if we found out how Arthur Gordon died.
How disappointing!
Audrey, I totally agree with you on having the story ended with the rescue by the Jane Guy. That would have solved the issue with the pointless latitude and longitude mumbo jumbo, and satisfied the reader just as much. With a few slight alterations, it would have made a suffiecient ending especially seeing how it did end and not liking the real ending!
I agree. The ending was horrible. I enjoyed the story until they start their journey to the Antarctic. The whole thing just seemed ridiculous. I could go on and on about what I hated.
Maybe his throwing in all the latitude and longitude is so the reader will believe it more. Or maybe Poe was hoping someone would take his directions and try to find the islands.
I dont see how they could have fit the rest of Pyms ride on the canoe AND his rescue AND his travels home AND his families reaction or whatever else would be needed in two chapters which is what the note at the end said was all that was left. I feel even if these two chapters were there we still would be disappointed.
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