I believe the theme of "Ascension in the Moonlight" is that appearances can often be deceptive, and it requires an open mind to truly appreciate life. Winchester arrives at Ascension Island believing it is nothing more than a place to temporarily land during his journey and does not bother to see it as a significant stop. However, he becomes friendly with the local pastor and his wife, Angela, and with them he begins to see the unrecognized beauty of the island. During his last night on Ascension, he witnesses the beautiful and natural process of Brazilian sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach as he and his new friends eat strawberries and cream where they sit, followed by an unexpected lunar eclipse and a shower of passing comets. On an island that Winchester did not expect to care so much about, he experienced the most breathtaking and unforgettable moment of his life.
One example of effective language was when Winchester utilized imagery in describing the beginning of the lunar eclipse; he writes there was a "sudden coldness in the air, as though a cloud had materialized from the tropical sky, and blanketed everything in its chill." The feeling of coldness puts the reader in the moment, which is effective because it is essentially the most important part of the story. This is when Winchester is experiencing the luckiest moment of his life, and he is inviting the reader to experience it with him.
Another use of effective language was when he mentions how, while they are on the beach, "only the glow of the distant runway lights spoke of civilization nearby." This creates a feeling of isolation, yet emphasizes that beauty can still exist in seclusion. Sometimes the moments in which we are alone or separated from the bulk of civilization are when we experience the true beauty of the world, just as Winchester witnessed the sea turtles laying their eggs, the comets and shooting stars, and the eclipse far away from the people of the rest of the island.
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