ISBN-13: 9780472119202 / Angielski / Twarda / 2014 / 256 str.
Shipwrecked: Disaster and Transformation in Homer, Shakespeare, Defoe, and the Modern Worldpresents the first comparative study of notable literary shipwrecks from the past four thousand years, focusing on Homer sOdyssey, Shakespeare sThe Tempest, and Defoe sRobinson Crusoe. James V. Morrison considers the historical context as well as the triggers (such as the 1609 Bermuda shipwreck) that inspired some of these works, and modern responses such as novels (Golding sLord of the Flies, Coetzee sFoe, and Gordon sFirst on Mars, a science fiction version of the Crusoe story), movies, television (Forbidden Planet, Cast Away, andLost), and the poetry and plays of Caribbean poets Derek Walcott and Aime Cesaire.The recurrent treatment of shipwrecks in the creative arts demonstrates an enduring fascination with this archetypal scene: a shipwreck survivor confronting the elements. It is remarkable, for example, that the characters in the 2004 television showLostshare so many features with those from Homer sOdysseyand Shakespeare sThe Tempest.For survivors who are stranded on an island for some period of time, shipwrecks often present the possibility of a change in political and social status as well as romance and even paradise. In each of the major shipwreck narratives examined, the poet or novelist links the castaways arrival on a new shore with the possibility of a new sort of life. Readers will come to appreciate the shift in attitude toward the opportunities offered by shipwreck: older texts such as theOdysseyreveals a trajectory ofreturning to the previous order. In spite of enticing new temptations, Odysseus and some of the survivors inThe Tempest revert to their previous lives, rejecting what many might consider paradise. Odysseus is reestablished as king; Prospero travels back to Milan. In such situations, we may more properly speak ofpotential transformations. In contrast, many recent shipwreck narratives instead embrace the possibility of a new sort of existence. That even now the shipwreck theme continues to be treated, in multiple media, testifies to its long-lasting appeal to a very wide audience."