Is Human Intervention of Aquatic Habitats Driven by a Desire of Wealth Having a Negative Impact on Aquatic Life?

Aquatic Life has been negatively affected by human intervention driven by a desire of wealth. It has become a trend to abuse the beauty of these creatures to generate income.  Pet stores and other specific fish stores sell fish to the public and are placed in tanks not suited to their natural habitat. In addition, Aquariums and Oceanariums place their aquatic animals in tanks denying them the right to live in the ocean or other habitats suited for marine life. Aquatic Animals populations have been abused by humans in an attempt for humans to gain wealth.

Human abuse of animals is portrayed in The Horror at Martin’s Beach. The captain of a fishing boat killed an infant sea creature and preserved its dead body to obtain income. In the text it states, “With judicious carpentry he prepared what amounted to an excellent marine museum, and, sailing south to the wealthy resort district of Martin’s Beach, anchored at the hotel wharf and reaped a harvest of admission fees.” (H.P Lovecraft and Sonia H. Greene). The captain’s desire for wealth lead to the unkind and immoral treatment of this whale.

Later in the story, the captain and some others try to pull in another sea creature with a lifeguard buoy which lead to their mental and physical struggles. They becomes so obsessed with pulling the rope in that the sea creature pulls him in the water. The narrator states, “Their complete demoralization is reflected in the conflicting accounts they give, and the sheepish excuses they offer for their seemingly callous inertia.”(H.P Lovecraft and Sonia H. Greene). The author refers to the excuses as “sheepish”because there was no  excuse for why they were fighting this whale. It was no coincidence that the characters fighting the sea creature were pulled into the water.

Human desire for money leads to unfair treatment of aquatic life and the abuse of their beauty which humans are lucky to witness.

Perspective is the way an individual views things. The authors, Lovecraft and Greene, very literally provide us with the speaker’s perspective of the events that supposedly transpired on August 8, 1922 at Martin’s Beach. The description given to us recounts exactly what the individual remembers happening and what he saw throughout the course of the night. Regardless of the content of the story, what I found to be most compelling was how the speaker himself shows how even he is unsure of what really happened that night. Ultimately, the question being asked is how is reliability affected by different perspectives.

While we, as readers, have no reason to doubt the author, he certainly provides us with reasons to do just that: “no two accounts agree” (The Horror at Martin’s Beach Paragraph 1). Within the first two lines of the article, the author has already pointed out to us the unreliability of any recounts of that night. As he goes on to describe to us what he saw, he never fails to remind us no one really knew what was actually transpiring that night. The reason that I find this so interesting is that in general with any form of literature including books, articles, and even news stories, readers tend to trust the author completely. However, learning to question the author often enables us to understand more. Therefore, while we could accept this account as the best possible summary of what happened, even the speaker knows that what he is saying is not entirely reliable: “Certainly there was no lack of witnesses, confused though their stories be with fear and doubt of what they saw” (The Horror at Martin’s Beach 10). The author once again admits to us and reminds us that there is a large possibility for confusion and misconception in his recount and everyone else’s of that night. One thing that the speaker makes clear to us is his own perspective and specifically skepticism of water after his experience. The speaker clearly sees the water as threat and this is simply as a result of his own experiences with it. Had that night been different it is safe to assume that his feelings towards the ocean would be different as well. Ultimately, the fact that perspective is specific to individuals should remind us to always question the reliability of any content that we read and how it is specific to the speaker.

Why do people believe that if you practice something enough you will become a master of the activity?

When in reality there are individuals that have access to better help and are surrounded by a more fortunate environment. Someone who is born from a luxurious family will have benefits that others cannot afford. Athletes with money will have access to professional trainers, equipment and supplements. On the other hand, individuals with a lower financial status cannot afford these privileges and will have to work with what they have. This changes the level of practice because better resources will produce positive results faster. In the novel “They Say I Say” written by Gerald Graff, he states, ”Performing this activity, in other words, depends on your having learned a series of complicated moves-moves that may seem mysterious or difficult to those who haven’t yet learned them”(page 1). I believe that it is difficult for people to learn these complicated moves because they do not have the resources to get the correct information on how to practice an activity. People with money can buy professionals that will show them the correct way to train. Everyone else, for example, may use the internet which can sometimes mislead the person from actually learning how to master the activity. Referring back to athletics, professional trainers are specialized in their career and will guide one to become fit. While someone else might be practicing the wrong exercises or going on a diet that does not work towards their goal.

Does the ocean symbolize admiration and wonder yet fear and horror simultaneously?

In “The Horror at Martin’s Beach” by H.P. Lovecraft and Sonia H. Greene, the ocean is represented as a body of water that contains elements of wonder and awe, as well as elements of vengeance and fear. In the beginning of the short story, prior to the horrific incident, the ocean is viewed as an interesting resource that has the ability to spark wonders among people. Also, the ocean and its objects hold very high importance in the scientific community: “The intrinsic marvelousness of the object, and the importance which it clearly bore in the minds of many scientific visitors from near and far, combined to make it the season’s sensation” (Lovecraft & Greene). Therefore, the ocean has become a sensation for many as it has essentially provided a treasure for people to enjoy and study.

However, following the death of the captain and rescuers, the ocean is inevitably viewed as menacing and horrific. While the captain and rescuers attempt to save the victims in the sea, they seem to be hypnotized by the ocean’s relentless force: “Even the strugglers, after a few frantic screams and futile groans, succumbed to the paralyzing influence and kept silent and fatalistic in the face of unknown powers” (Lovecraft & Greene). The strugglers were unable to withhold themselves from the ocean, causing their eventual succumb. The unknown powers represent the fear and horror that is instilled below the ocean’s surface. Furthermore, when the storm ends, the ocean seems serene, contrary to the previous waves. Despite its apparent serenity and harmlessness, the “faint and sinister echoes of a laugh” are heard from the ocean. This represents the menace of water as it has essentially overpowered the rescuers. Thus, the ocean, and water in general, appears to symbolize wonder and menace as it is both a resource and threat to humans.

“The Horror at Martin’s Beach” poses a story of a monstrous sea creature that entrances and engulfs a great deal of people in a plot of revenge. In all of its extensive portrayal, my skepticism resides in its legitimacy. The author, H.P. Lovecraft, states from the very first sentence, “I have never heard an even approximately adequate explanation of the horror at Martin’s Beach”(Lovecraft 2010). How is one supposed to believe this occurrence if the author seems to be simply piecing this version together based on some estranged witnesses? There is no solid evidence for this event other than the fact it was spread by mouth. This tale was also formulated around the time when stories were used as a source of entertainment. So really how much can you believe this to be true?

People are fascinated with the great unknown that lies within the darkest depths of the seas. Children grow up getting told legends of the “great, green monster that resides below”. “The Horror at Martin’s Beach” is just another one of these stories. The ambiguity of the waters give rise to unrealistic prophecies. They spread at rapid rates, inducing fear as they go. Uncertainty scares people and to counteract this they will formulate stories for simple entertainment. I believe there is no truth to this tale and all others it follows. This story needs concrete evidence in order to be proven accurate and reliable. Without that, ” The Horror at Martin’s Beach” is just another myth to be read and pondered upon.