Mystery and Adventure on the Sea: A Survey of Nautical Literature and Why It Entices Us

Mystery and Adventure on the Sea: A Survey of Nautical Literature and Why It Entices Us

What is it that is so enticing about the sea? What is it that keeps people coming back to it, whether to see it in person or to read about it in books? Water in and of itself keeps everything coming back to it; it is one of the most essential ingredients for life. The sea, though undrinkable by us landlubbers, is no different, teeming with the life of colorful corals, tasty fish, and dangerous specimens. A life on the sea is not much different, tales often filled with glittering treasures, unexplored lands, and treacherous tides.

Treasure Island is one such well-known sea adventure, a few good men pursued by pirates as they search for buried treasure on a mysterious island. Other stories, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, Count of Monte Cristo, and even the land-locked tales of The Princess Bride and Tom Sawyer, envision the romanticism of swashbuckling with a pirate whilst on a search for treasure, whether it be gold or love. Ah, to travel with our heroes and experience the thrill of the chase, the mystery surrounding the hunt, the danger of sword-fighting. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by friends as they embark on a grand adventure, searching for pirate treasure and defeating the villains? But that’s not the only kind of adventure to be had on the oceans.

There are those stories that deal with simply the incidents of a life on the sea. Though not as seemingly enticing as a treasure hunt, many of these stories deal with the search for self, which is often found in the dangerous situations described in the story. Tales such as Horatio Hornblower, Mutiny on Board HMS Bounty, Master & Commander, Captains Courageous, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea deal with cases of life on (or under) the sea, fraught with treacherous dangers and thrilling discoveries. Yes, you could say that the characters in these stories are on a treasure hunt, but the treasure they seek is knowledge, whether of themselves, their fellow man, or the world around them. Knowledge is indeed a great treasure, and a great power, and the sea is filled with mysteries waiting to be discovered and explored.

But after an area has been explored, what then? What is there to do? Travel, of course! See first-hand, if you can, the sights and sounds encountered by many a young hero in seafaring tales. But be forewarned, some people might be holding a grudge against nature, and you will be swept up in their whirlwind of revenge. Moby Dick, Frankenstein, The Mysterious Island, and The Sea Wolf are just a few examples of these, others, like Around the World in 80 Days, In Search of the Castaways (or The Children of Captain Grant), Gulliver’s Travels, and The Adventures of Tintin primarily deal with the fascinating adventures encountered on a journey. Not all of these journeys are devoid of the excitement and glamour of encountering different landscapes and diverse cultures, but they certainly make quite an adventure out of it.

So, again, what is so enticing about the adventures of a life on the sea? Perhaps it is because traveling on the sea is more dangerous than traveling by land, or even air, for the sea is more unpredictable than either land or air. Perhaps it is because there are still mysteries lurking in its depths, and we have a thirst for knowledge, a desire to know the world’s secrets. Perhaps it is because we are restless and searching for something great, our final destination, a place where we truly belong, the perfect knowledge, or the greatest treasure of all, love. If we do not have it, we go out and search for it. The only thing is, do not forget what could be standing right beneath your nose, nor forsake what you leave behind, it’s likely that it’s been there this entire time.

Literary & Media Analysis