Man vs Nature: A Descent Into the Maelström
By Ludmila Rishkova
February 2nd, 2011
Unknown, unfathomable, uncertain, unusual, these are the words Edgar Allan Poe uses when describing natural phenomena. Or rather, these are the words he uses when describing human reaction to natural phenomena. He may also use the words "horror," "magnificence," and "grandeur" dozens of times. And while man can admire, be mystified by and bow in reverence to nature, he also has to deal with it on a daily basis. One way or another, he has to harness it in order to survive. Whether he succeeds or fails, the result is always spectacular.
Although he is well known for tales of mystery that inspired the detective genre, such as The Tell-Tale Heart and The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Poe also wrote tales of a Romantic nature. A Descent Into the Maelström is one of those tales.
The title is straightforward: the story is about a fisherman`s descent into the abyss of the Maelström whirlpool and his survival of it. The vehicle to the story is the narrator, a young man armed with words and knowledge who comes to Norway in hopes to unfurl the mystery of the whirlpool phenomena. Like the reader, he is a passive observer. Sitting atop the Helseggen Mountain he holds on to the grass as he gazes at the expanse of the ocean punctuated by cliffs below. He feels faint and lightheaded as he realizes his own insignificant smallness. He and the fisherman each have something the other does not. The narrator has words and knowledge, but little bravery. The fisherman has hands on experience, raw bravery and simplicity of mind which allows him to embrace his fears. Nature rules over both, and each attempts to control (or survive) in his own manner.
Words and intellect become an attempt at defining, confining and reducing the Maelström into something comprehensible, simple, and thus controllable. They are the weapon and armor of the intellectual man, but even they can fall short as even the Encyclopedia Britannica cannot confine the Moskoe-Ström whirlpool to its definition when compared to the brutal power of the real thing.
The fisherman`s simplicity is what gives him his bravery as he is flexible, malleable and thus can bend to nature`s will. He is ready to accept sure death when caught in the whirlpool and it opens his eyes to curiosity, allowing him to observe. Observation, simple but scientific in nature, allows him hope for survival. Having nothing to lose, and nothing to fear once he has resigned himself, he overcomes the storm.
Intellect is a wonderful gift, but simplicity seems to be an even greater one. Through this Romantic tale, Poe seems to say that man can embrace Nature in two ways. One can either grip the grass and hold on for his dear life while one sits atop a mountain at story-time, or one can take the plunge and trust Nature no matter the decision it makes. Science is not separate from nature, but neither is it separate from man. They are all one and the same, and harmony is not unheard of. Definition, confinement and control are the ones man should stop striving for as ultimately he will be fighting himself.
Time, a natural element, is also of issue, and it is why Poe`s eighteenth century prose still seems like a source of good advice today.
Links:
- Wikipedia's article on the Moskoe Whirlpool
- Full Text of A Descent Into the Maelström