A Response to Winchester's "Ascension in the Moonlight"

      The theme of Winchester’s essay can be best represented with a quote from the story’s last paragraph that is said to him: “You are a very, very lucky man indeed. Lucky to be in such a place. Lucky to see such things. And luckiest of all to meet such very kind people”

      This can be broken down into three parts:

            1) The actual luck involved in travel. Each travel has chance encounters, and unlikely events that only happen because there are so many unusual things that can happen, that invariably some do. In the text, evidence of this point can be seen in the encounter with the turtles, which is a seasonal event he could have well missed.

            2) The wonders of having a guide. Sometimes, a local will expose a well-kept secret of the land that would never have been found if they had chosen not to get a guide. In the story, this is shown when the couple takes Winchester to see the Turtles, an opportunity that might have been otherwise missed. 

            3) The importance of kindness. Over all, it is kindness that is most important to travels, both from the travelers and from the locals, to have a pleasant trip. In the story this is lamp-shaded in the above quote, and it’s greatly shown in the text, as kindness is said to be its own reward. 

      The language choices by this author were, in some instances, very interesting. Here are two I found to be effective: 

            1) The phrase “with a strangely, unforgettably intimate sound of chelonian parturition”. The word “intimate” paints vivid imagery of the sound, but it is not the highlight of the phrase. Parturition is a very aesthetically pleasing way of saying “to give birth”, and the word “chelonian”, implying reptiles of the former order “Chelonia” (now known as “Tetsudines”), which includes turtles and tortoises. This is a very bombastic yet beautiful way of saying, downgraded to a level of bathos, “turtles giving birth”. As it is, it makes a beautiful scene seem more beautiful.

            2) The second effective use of language would be near the previous one. Before long, Winchester starts to refer to the turtles as ladies. This not only serves to help the reader see them anthropomorphized into having human characteristics, mainly grace and beauty, but also implies what we perceive as motherhood in them. As Winchester continues to refer to them as ladies, and as we actually see them give birth, this image is strengthened. 

Once more, this is what I have to say about this piece. I'll see you next time!
Victor M. Barreiro