'Ascension in the Moonlight' Response

In his essay ‘Ascension in the Moonlight’, Simon Winchester uses intense imagery and inward thought to depict how the expectations and bustle of society can affect one’s feelings about nature and what it has to offer. Originally, Winchester is eager to return to the city after a long period at sea and in the far, deserted corners of the world. However, when he realizes how beautiful nature untouched by society is at Ascension Island, the routine and detached feel of city life seems lesser. The author utilizes imagery to stimulate the reader’s senses, by specifying certain colors and textures such as “green foliage” and/or “dipping and rising of [the whaler]”. Furthermore, he summarizes the majority of the dialogue so it becomes part of his own narrative and less like a fabrication. For instance, he refers to anyone he meets originally as only a voice, using the pronoun ‘it’ and then going into further detail about characters, such as the “two expatriates doing their level best to find suitable employment”, who later become lifetime friends he values greatly for their brief time together.