The Man In The Water Summary

No matter what, every human is bound to die. It is a scary thing to think about, but there is no escape. Not many think about how their life will end, but it always remains in the back of the heads of human beings. In one moment, everything could change, and your life could be taken. This happens all over the world, thousands of times in one day. So how do humans deal with this knowledge; that life will eventually come to an abrupt end? What will someone do in their last final moments, knowing that they could be gone in a matter of seconds? The author of, “The man in the water,” Roger Rosenblatt, describes the heroic acts of one single man. This man’s last minutes on earth is what all humans hope their last minutes look like. He is the image …show more content…
For thousands of years, poets have revealed writings that show that nature is always in charge. They explain that no matter what humans do, nature can never be overcome by man. This is what makes this story truly inspiring. When the plane landed in the freezing cold Potomac River, nature had already begun taking its effect on the passengers. This man proved that no man is ordinary, as technically, no one had to go in the water, but he did, and he did it willingly. The article explains perfectly the situation and constant battle against nature. “He was there, in the essential, classic circumstance. Man in nature. The man in the water. For its part, nature cared nothing about the five passengers. Our man, on the other hand, cared totally. So the timeless battle commenced in the Potomac. For as long as that man could last, they went at each other, nature and man: the one making no distinctions of good and evil, acting on no principles, offering no lifelines; the other acting wholly on distinctions, principles and one supposes, on faith.” Man had won the battle over nature. People may argue that since the man technically lost the fight by losing his life, that humans are indeed powerless in world. However, it is quite the reverse as it takes an act like this to remind the world of the courage that lies within every single being. He did not lose this fight. …show more content…
He wanted to get a message across that would remain in the minds of all humans. The message he chose would have an impact on many as it proves that fear can be overcome. Rosenblatt wanted the world to understand that the man in the water overcomes the fear of oneself, death, and nature. These are the three most powerful influences in the world as we know it. When putting fear on top of it, the ‘man in the water’ overcame the top four elements in the world. Fear controls the world and stops miracles like this from happening. The message proves that it is possible to not think of oneself in a time of horror. The theme shows that it is indeed possible to overcome the fear of the most terrifying and controlling figure on the earth; death. This message solidifies that man can put up a fight against the fear of nature, and