1. Do some research into the symbolic significance of the man being naked.
Have a look at the symbolic meanings of nakedness from:
http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/dmbeingnaked.html
“(1) Nudity may express a longing (possibly unconscious) for childhood innocence
and freedom from artificial inhibitions.
(2) It may signify getting beyond outward appearances to what you really are: the
'naked truth' about yourself. It may therefore be accompanied by an anxious feeling of
being exposed - that is, vulnerable.
Dreaming of being naked depicts the dreamer's vulnerability, perhaps a desire to shed
defences, a freedom from shame and a love of truth.”
There is a clear idea that the man being naked represents his innocence and
vulnerability. It also says on that site: “After falling from grace in Paradise, Adam and
Eve covered their nakedness; shame had entered their consciousness, and the world
could never be the same again.” The man’s lack of clothing represents a lack of
shame of who he is.
In an examination of symbolic imagery in Mulholland Drive at
http://www.mulholland-drive.net/studies/symbols.htm it states, “Because our personal
identities are so tied up with the body, the body can also appear as a more general
symbol of the self (e.g., a naked body may indicate that we feel exposed).” This
further reinforces the idea that nakedness = vulnerability.
2. Research the symbolism of the ocean.
At http://symbolism.wikia.com/wiki/Water it says, “The Ocean is a sign of power and
strength, dominating all other symbols of water--due to its immensity. All life was
ocean-born and life still exists in the ocean; therefore the ocean represents life. Also,
the ocean represents mystery. The ocean is known for being unpredictable and
uncontrollable, hard to navigate in time of storm” The man comes from the ocean,
and is returned the ocean, in a twisted circle of life. What happened to him before and
after is a mystery.
3. Research the significance of Edvard Munch’s famous painting titled “The
Scream”
Have a look at it as: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scream The scream is not about
a scream, it’s about reacting to hearing a scream through nature. While the woman in
The Island is screaming, the focus is on her reaction to the man.
4. Research to find the significance of fish (sardines in particular).
In literature fish is typically a symbol of transformation.
At http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/society/holidays/entierrodelasardina.asp is
described a sardine ceremony: “In Madrid, an unusual ceremony called El Entierro de
la Sardina (literally, the burial of the sardine) takes place. A large number of people
get together to observe a centuries old annual Spanish tradition of burying a dead fish.
This popular manifestation was first captured for posterity and made famous by
Spanish painter Francisco de Goya in an oil painting of the same name, “El Entierro
de la Sardina,” dated between 1812 and 1819. The satirical ceremony simulates a
burial procession of a sardine (real or fake), which gets solemnly paraded around the
city streets in a real or cardboard coffin. Men and women dress up in black period
costume clothes, with men sometimes daring to dress up as weeping widows. Women
do cover their heads with the traditional black Spanish lace veil. The sardine is the
symbol of the carnival (a “liberating period”), while its death and burial represent the
end of carnival season and the beginning of the religious fasting period. People
“mourn” their feelings of sadness over the ending of the festive season and how it
implies the beginning of staunch religious observance.” In The Island the sardines go
from tin, to plate, to bones. When they’re bones is when the attitude of the villagers to
the man changes for the worse. The time of grudging acceptance is over.
5. Research the significance of horns.
At http://www.ecphorizer.com/EPS/site_page.php?issue=38&page=571 there is some
examination of horns. “Christianity, too, sought to discourage the pagan worship of
horns and depicted the Devil himself as wicked with bestiality, and thus horned.” The
man is portrayed as satanic, evil.
6. Research what’s ‘wrong’ with eating with hands.
There is a discussion of this sparked by an offhand comment by Oprah at:
http://devdutt.com/articles/you-still-eat-with-your-hands.html
“It is interesting that the rise of use of cutlery can be mapped to rise of European
imperialism, American colonization and African slavery. Eating by hand came to be
associated with natives, laborers and servants.” In The Island there is a clear
implication that to eat with hands is wrong, barbaric.
7. Research images and instances of mobs with pitchforks (both real and in
literature).
You can see some light hearted references to mobs with pitchforks and images on
these blogs:
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/pitchforks-and-torchesswillerhurwitz.html
http://wahsegavalleyfarm.typepad.com/wahsega_valley_farm/2009/08/discusted.html
http://tjcnyc.wordpress.com/category/social-media/
8. Research the significance of Cormorants.
Interesting Cormorants are significant to Christianity and associated with Satan. This
site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant explores both sides:
“Cormorants feature quite commonly in heraldry and medieval ornamentation,
usually in their "wing-drying" pose, which was seen as representing the Christian
cross. For example, the Norwegian municipalities of Røst, Loppa and Skjervøy have
cormorants in their coat-of-arms. The species depicted in heraldry is most likely to be
the Great Cormorant, the most familiar species in Europe.
“The cormorant was the disguise used by Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost. The
cormorant was significant as a symbol of "true Life/ Thereby regain’d," and was
ironically used by Satan. Satan sat on top of the Tree of Life as a cormorant in his first
attempt to deceive and tempt Eve.”
I found that interesting so read more about it at:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/pl/book_4/index.shtml
“Satan now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the
bold enterprize which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many
doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despare; but at length
confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and
scituation is discribed, overleaps the bounds, sits in the shape of a Cormorant on the
Tree of life, as highest in the Garden to look about him. The Garden describ'd; Satans
first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at thir excellent form and happy state, but
with resolution to work thir fall; overhears thir discourse, thence gathers that the Tree
of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon
intends to found his Temptation, by seducing them to transgress: then leaves them a
while, to know further of thir state by some other means.”
It said in the notes at the bottom: “Cormorant. Voracious sea-bird symbolic of
insatiable greed.”
9. Research the significance of the burning boat.
PDF I have on file: “The Island was first published in this original German text in
2002 under the title Die Insel. Although not written with an Australian context in
mind, The Island eerily depicts the xenophobic attitudes towards refugees and
migrants that have been seen in recent years in this country. The dark, ominous
illustrations are reminiscent of the charcoal artwork created by Jews interned in Nazi
concentration camps during the Holocaust.”
10. Research what xenophobia is, and find some examples in history.
freedictionary.com
xenophobe - a person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign,
especially of strangers or foreign peoples. (A person can be xenophobic.)
xenophobia - hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture.
11. What interesting ‘tid bits’ about The Island can you find?
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-island-by-armin/
“ ‘And then they locked the gate and went back to their business, and life on the
island returned to what it had always been.’ The images of what ‘it had always been’
include drunken camaraderie and bullying. The images throughout the book are also
exceptional. Simple charcoal and ink drawings with hints of teal and red convey
dramatic character in the heavy, angry villagers, and the slim, fearful outsider. The
two expansive ocean shots fill the double pages and also convey the ocean of fear and
hatred that surrounds the island.”
PDF I have on file: “This book alludes to how we can fail as a community to accept
people who are different to us in anyway [boat people, refugees and immigrants].
How we treat those who arrive on our shore, how we welcome and look after the
strangers in our midst. The book’s power comes from its simplicity, simple text and
simple pictures add up to a big message. The reaction of the islanders to the stranger
provides much to ponder, for example:
•
Islanders’ reactions – good intentions vs. actual actions
•
The fisherman’s ineffectual voice of reason – even this is unsure and even
perhaps a little condescending
•
Why no-one in the book is given a name – all Islanders are identified by
occupation
“The Islanders’ paranoia escalates through the book as the stranger is extolled with
evil intentions which is very symptomatic of a xenophobic society. The Islanders start
spreading rumors about the man, “he’ll come and eat you if you don’t finish your
soup.” they tell their children, and fear soon spreads throughout the town.
The charcoal illustrations are dark and ominous reflecting the dark thoughts of the
people. What stands out for me is the more simple illustration of the Island’s children
imitating their elders, who drove the stranger before them with pitchforks, by doing
the same to one of their peers.