Essay Questions

Which common theme connects all of MacLeod's stories?

Conventional vs. Contemporary culture emerges as the central theme which connects all MacLeod's stories. The older generation conflicts with modern generations because they have different views. The older generations strictly observe societal order and norms based on traditional values. However, the current generation thinks that they must do things differently to meet their needs. For instance, the older generation believes in arranged marriages, but the new generation is of a different view. To bring out his point clearly, MacLeod narrates a mother who wants her daughter to get married to a local fisherman as arranged, but the daughter refuses because she prefers to be driven by her desires.

What is the satire of the coal-mining town?

prosperity is what comes to the mind of the reader when he comes across coal-mining. Mineral towns are naturally creamy, and they provide numberless opportunities for the current and future generations. Ironically, 'The Vastness of the Dark' depicts the coal mining town as a miserable place where one has to toil for the rest of his life to earn a living. Children born in this town are doomed to fail in life. James is the firstborn in his family, and he decides to go out of this town to search for better opportunities elsewhere because the coal mining town has a bleak future.

What is the significance of the short story ‘The Boat’?

In the short story 'The Boat,' the reader is introduced to a family vessel called 'Jenny Lynn' that is commonly used for fishing. The author symbolically uses Jenny Lynn to represent the conventional economic activity for the local people. The smell that comes from this boat signifies that it spends most of its time in the water fishing. This story is significant because it represents the local people's unwillingness to embrace the new ways of doing things. The author connects this story to earlier stories. The older generations are unwilling to acknowledge modernity but rather consider sticking to their traditions even if they are not productive.