My Essay 6

Everything in Your Life is Connected

   The novel that I have chosen is a fiction story, titled “Cast Away”, written by William Broyles Jr. The setting of this novel is in 1995 to 1999, takes place mostly on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. This story is about his survival experience all by himself on an island and after he was rescued.

     Chuck Noland, the main character, used to be a super busy time-obsessed systems analyst, who traveled worldwide resolving productivity problems at FedEx depots. He had a beautiful fiancé named Kelly; they lived together in Memphis, Tennessee. On Christmas, Kelly gifted him a pocket watch with her picture in it. However, he was summoned and headed to Malaysia. On the way, his airplane was hit by a heavy storm and crashed. He was washed up on an island. The island was an uninhabited. He collected several FedEx packages and searched for water, food and shelter. In order to survive, he opened the FedEx packages, finding some useful items; ice skate shoes as a knife and mirror, a kids dress with laces as mesh to catch fish, and a Wilson volley ball. However, Chuck left one package with feather pictures unopened. One day, when he struggled trying to make a fire, he cut his hand and bled. He, then, draw a funny face on the Wilson volley ball with the blood. He tried to make a fire again beside the ball, then he made! He thought the ball let him make a fire. Chuck named the ball, Wilson. He enjoyed grilled fish and crabs with the fire. On the other day, he found a cave and started living there with his new friend Wilson. He started painting pictures of Kelly’s face and his family. Four years later, Chuck was still alive; his fishing skill dramatically improved and even ate uncooked fish. Wilson became his only close friend and he sometimes argued with Wilson.  One day, he found a part of a portable toilet and decided to make a raft, using it as a sail. After he constructed a sail, he departed with Wilson from the island. On his Voyage, the sail was blown off, and Wilson was set adrift. Chuck couldn’t catch up with Wilson and lost his only friend. After that, he was deeply depressed and threw paddles away. However, shortly after, a big ship passed by him and he was rescued. Four weeks later, he came back to Memphis and found Kelly married to another guy and had a daughter. Although Chuck and Kelly still loved each other, they decided to go their own way. On a sunny day, he was delivering the unopened FedEx package with feather pictures, and found the house was empty. He left the package with a message, saying “This package saved my life.” When he was lost at a cross road, a beautiful young lady on a truck gave him directions. And then, he saw the feather pictures on her truck.

            After reading the novel, I found two things. First, humans cannot live all by hemself. Chuck was lonely for four years; however, he survived by thinking about Kelly and creating a friend Wilson. I think that Chuck couldn’t make it without Wilson even he didn’t speak. Chuck created Wilson’s will and talked sometimes argued with Wilson. When he lost Wilson, he was devastated, cried and lost his vigor. After Chuck came back to Memphis, he also lost Kelly and cried; he didn’t cry on the island. He only cried when he lost his important people. I think the point was that people need love and love provides with humans will power. If people can’t get love, they make substitutes such as a beloved’s face picture to cherish and things to talk with to keep their mind.

     Second, life events are all connected. After Chuck lost Kelly, he met a beautiful young lady who might be the receiver of the unopened package. I don’t know why he left it unopened in the severe situation of his cast away. However, his six-sense probably told him something. This event leads readers to think that his incredibly harsh experience was connected to meeting the lady. I think people must have felt this kind of feeling in their own lives; events in life are connected to their current situation, regardless of how small or big it is. Perhaps, the author wants us to know that severe experiences connect the way you should go. As for me, I failed the entrance exam in high schools and went to the last school I wanted to. However, the school trip was in Vancouver and I felt it was very nice place. When I was a university student, I spend hush time, surrounded by wired, untrusted people. I, then, escaped to Vancouver to change my life in positive way. After many years, when I got up in the morning, suddenly one idea came up to me “go to Canada”. One month after arriving Vancouver, I met my husband. Every time I went to Canada was after hush experience. I’ve come to believe that things are connected.        

     In conclusion, I would recommend this novel because it describes how love provides with humans will power, how to combat the loneliness and finally these things are connected. People hardly have similar experiences like Chuck had. However, this novel gives us chances to remind how much you love your family and friends, and to see back your life events which how connected to your current situation. Severe experiences are events that show us the right way to proceed. These ideas might get you positive and lead you to fruitful life. Believe in your power. Everything is connected