A Drowning Mark Ferguson Analysis

After reading the first chapter of Mark Ferguson’s short story, “A Drowning” I already knew that I would not like the story. It is an example of a lifeguard’s nightmare, finding a drowning victim without a way to save them. The fact that the narrator is painfully reliving the story makes me tense, especially when thinking about dangerous situations that could happen while I am working as a lifeguard and the effects it could have on me. To conclude, the story made me more and more uncomfortable each time the the victim was put in further danger and especially uncomfortable when he never came back up which made the story difficult for me to read. SImilarly, I did not really like the story because of the focus on nature. Though very well written, the emphasis on the conflict between human and nature, and the exorbitant amount of descriptions made the story less enjoyable for me. I prefer stories with a faster pace which is

Ferguson seemed to focus on explaining the setting, and events that happened in great detail. Much of the story was describing the situation, and how insignificant one man is compared to nature. Another reason for the novel was the power of human spirit which was exemplified by the drowning victim. Though he was in a precarious situation, he kept fighting against the waves, and the current. In the end, nature was too powerful, but the victim’s will to survive was commendable. The power of human spirit in “A Drowning” can be related to the fly’s endurance in “The Fly”. Both the drowning victim and the fly were facing impenetrable forces, the human and nature. However, instead of simply succumbing to their problems, both characters fought for their lives. In “A Drowning” the victim fought against the massive waves, and in “The Fly” the fly tried to conquer the torture from the human. In the end, both characters die, but their spirit, and unwavering perseverance show their