Summary
The courageous hero and his crew, after being once again sent further from Ithaca, find themselves at another island, in desperate need of ship repairs. The day passed in a matter of minutes, night following in a similar manner, far swifter than the ordinary. Sending one member to climb a tree in search of civilization, Ulysses makes quite a mistake, for he does not return. After a second and third return unsuccessful as well, Ulysses himself climbs the enigmatic tree. However, it was no tree at all, and was a giant, of the man-eating nature. Attempting to fight off a small group of the cannibals, Ulysses soon decides he is losing far too many men, and retreats to the ship. Luckily, he had left two moored and ready to shove off, however only one crew of men remained from the encounter on the strnage isle.
Notable Quotes
"The purple sky deepened to inky blue, to black, then swiftly paled. Orange bars of fire stood in the sky, then a great flooding of golden light, which purpled again and went dark.” ~Narrator, Page 42
The quote describes the cycle of day and night on the island vividly, showing how nature can often be supernatural within mythology.
“And truly, all my life I have sought wonders. But just now I would wish for a more ordinary course of events. All strangeness holds danger now, and we have had our bellyful of adventure for the time.” ~Ulysses, Page 42
Ulysses reflects on his journey, and how, for once, adventure is not welcome, as he is weary and has a land to return to, however many beings have plans otherwise.
"Ulysses beached only two ships, keeping one moored in the harbor in the event of attack." ~Narrator, Page 42
Although not extraordinary, the simple quote describes how Ulysses and his men have learned from past mistakes, and are ready to depart in an instant in the likely event that the inhabitants of the island are, in fact, hostile.
"It fell in soft folds unlike any bark he had ever seen, and when he grasped the tree to climb it, the bark felt like a heavy cloth beneath his hands." ~Narrator, Page 44
The writer foreshadows the events to come with what seems at first to be a simile, but describes exactly what is being referenced.
Of the three ships that had gone in, only one had sailed away. Of the three crews but one was left. The rest had gone down the gullets of the giants who lived on that strange island where night hounds the stag o the day across the indifferent sky." ~Narrator, Page 46
The chapter concludes dimly in terms of hope for Ulysses and his dwindling crew, whose chance of survival is dropping severely.
The quote describes the cycle of day and night on the island vividly, showing how nature can often be supernatural within mythology.
“And truly, all my life I have sought wonders. But just now I would wish for a more ordinary course of events. All strangeness holds danger now, and we have had our bellyful of adventure for the time.” ~Ulysses, Page 42
Ulysses reflects on his journey, and how, for once, adventure is not welcome, as he is weary and has a land to return to, however many beings have plans otherwise.
"Ulysses beached only two ships, keeping one moored in the harbor in the event of attack." ~Narrator, Page 42
Although not extraordinary, the simple quote describes how Ulysses and his men have learned from past mistakes, and are ready to depart in an instant in the likely event that the inhabitants of the island are, in fact, hostile.
"It fell in soft folds unlike any bark he had ever seen, and when he grasped the tree to climb it, the bark felt like a heavy cloth beneath his hands." ~Narrator, Page 44
The writer foreshadows the events to come with what seems at first to be a simile, but describes exactly what is being referenced.
Of the three ships that had gone in, only one had sailed away. Of the three crews but one was left. The rest had gone down the gullets of the giants who lived on that strange island where night hounds the stag o the day across the indifferent sky." ~Narrator, Page 46
The chapter concludes dimly in terms of hope for Ulysses and his dwindling crew, whose chance of survival is dropping severely.