AU T H O R’ S C H O I C E
S H O RT S TO R I E S F R O M T H E G LO B A L C LA S S R O O M |
2014
DEPTHS
B E N JA M I N B R OW N, Y E A R 1 2
L A C Ô T E I N T E R NAT I O NA L S C H O O L
I loved that Ben decided to write a Gothic story set underwater. And that he
managed to make a merman frightening! It was great to see Ben take risks with
his setting and his narrator. The diving bell was a great detail, as was the spires
filled with the merman’s victims. Congratulations, Ben!
The goal of this short story was to take elements of Gothic fiction and place them in an unfamiliar setting (in this
case, underwater), such as:
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The feeling of unease and the narrator’s terror
The use of darkness and eerie beauty in the description
The mysterious nature of the spires
The dark romantic undertones
The ambiguity of the antagonist
The time period.
There are also efforts to create empathy for the narrator: details, such as the gender and appearance of the narrator,
aren’t given; instead the description concentrates on the setting, thoughts, and feelings, eventually addressing the reader.
The tang of salt was in the air, and droplets of seawater itched wetly on my skin. It was early morning and the cold
bit through the heavy coat I had pulled over my clothes, the sea spray adding to my discomfort by filling my eyes
with glistening tears. The prow of our vessel was carving through the waves, splitting them into eddies of foam that
swirled off into the murky gray of the water. The sails behind me flapped restlessly in the wind, the white cloth
straining at the chords that held it taut. I was worn and hungry, but my mind was alert and enthused; despite the
chilling mist that clung to the ocean, I was on this disqui