"Ascension in the Moonlight" Response

The theme of Simon Winchester's essay was that even in the most remote and seemingly uninteresting places, you can find beauty, adventure, and wonder. This is proved by when he believes the Reverend and his wife to hate the island in the beginning to when they say in the end after they show him the beach "Aren't we just the luckiest people?" To which the narrator seems to clearly agree. You can also see this in the language when he describes Ascension Island in the beginning by comparison to the end. In the beginning, he describes the place as grey and dull, but by the end, he described it as "warm," "velvet soft," and even feeling "blessed beyond belief" by the island. This language shows an interesting contrast that helps develop the theme. Another use of language was the usage of similes in describing the place. Such as in the example "took on an appearance just like snow." There are also many sensory details throughout the story, making the scenes come to life in the reader's mind, using words like "soft, wet, slimy, dark, white, warmth and chill." I chose these examples of language because they best contributed to the theme of the essay.