The Ocean At The End Of The Lane Literary Analysis

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Themes play a vital role in literature. In the novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman two big themes he focuses on is mortality and fear. Mortality and fear as themes and how they are used in The Ocean at the End of the Lane will be considered in this paper. Mortality according to the Oxford Dictionary is, “the state of being subject to death.” Mortality is used throughout The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Many authors use the theme of mortality, especially in books about childhood, because children tend to be scared of dying. Using that theme reminds adults of that fear and of how death is imminent for all. Making use of the theme of mortality also helps adults reflect on their own lives; how they may not be getting the best …show more content…
The boy is scared of death ending his life and everything he enjoys and the things he has underappreciated would cease to exist, because he no longer would exist either. Gaiman also uses mortality by making the “monster”, who is supposedly dead, reappear to the unnamed boy scaring him even though she is dead. In the following conversation between Ursula Monkton, who is the monster in the story and the unnamed boy, “ ‘You’re dead,’ I told her. ‘Yes, I was eaten,’ said Ursula Monkton. ‘You’re dead. You aren’t real’” (137). By bringing her back in this form when she should be dead, to test him at his weakest and really make him question if death was even possible is a huge test of his strength. Another way Gaiman uses mortality to really make an oxymoron of the theme of mortality and of the boy being scared of death in this …show more content…
But this contradicts all the other instances where the boy is so scared of death, where he really will do just about anything to prevent himself from dying and losing everything. Gaiman uses mortality to get readers to reflect on what it is like when you are a child. By using mortality Gaiman also uses mortality to remind readers that when you are a child how much you enjoy life that when the thought of dying first is introduced to them it really truly scares them because they do not truly understand how it typically works. Fear according to the Oxford Dictionary is, “an unpleasant emotion caused by threat of danger, pain, or harm.” Fear is used throughout The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Using fear as a theme reminds readers how much fear can control your every action and thought. Making use of the theme of fear also helps readers to consider their own fears and how they may still have fears that are childish or came from their
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