Reading Response #3

I recently read an article by the Department of English of UCLA, relating the shooting of the albatross in Samuel Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" with the author's fascination with horror and violence in his age. The author provides information regarding the similarities and differences of violence in the 1790s, and the violence in our time. He explains how the mariner might have shot the albatross out of the violent instinct that all human beings have, and that Coleridge’s views of violence and evil were manifested by the violence of the slave trade and the prosecution of the Catholics in Ireland. An explanation of how Coleridge's feelings towards violence were influenced by his anxiety towards the origin of evil, and to his abiding interest in the progressiveness of the human race were elaborated upon as well. How Coleridge could not simply accept Christian beliefs, and how he attempted to portray man and sin. As well as Coleridge's wonderment at the individuation of a species ant the special individuality that differentiates one person from another, and how the mariner shot the bird to be a special individual. This correlates with how Coleridge thought that the individual mind brought advancement to human society, how the mariner is able to endure life in spite the death of the crew and establish himself as an individual. The article ends with the author making connections to the story of Cain and Abel, to explain the mariner's spontaneous killing of the bird.
The article provide some large insight on a different interpretation of the poem, aside from the more common connection of the albatross and Christ. Themes in the article have a very solid argument to support them, making them a possible interpretation on what the author might have been attempting to convey. The first theme of the mariner's impulsive killing of the albatross, is a rather intriguing one. The author presents his argument with the quote, "Meanwhile anthropologists, speculating about the origins of human violence, have claimed that human aggression, warfare, and even genocide, derive from instinctive behavior patterns that can be observed in primates." (42). He backs up his point with another powerful quote, "Aggressiveness is associated with achievement, and may enable people to compete successfully for positions of authority." (43). The theme of the his impulsive killing of the bird is explained by an subconcious, human reaction to assume power. Even though this is a different way to look at the poem, I do not believe that it is a possible interpretation of the theme of the poem. The mariner himself is not attempting to assume power, nor is he an angry individual. I do not believe that he would do such of thing out of pure impulsive violence. The secondary theme presented, one dealing with the mariner seeking individuality, is a much stronger one. The author states that the mariner shot the albatross to break free and become different from the rest of his crew. Most stories focus on a main hero, one that is different from the common men. These protagonists are all faced with some type of conflict before coming to the ultimate resolution of the problem. It is quite possible that the Mariner was simply suppose to fit in to this archetype, and that he shot the albatross to establish himself as different. The author’s theme is supported by the quote, “Four times fifty living men” (198) but none of them had any separate existence or interest. He then goes to state, “The mariner’s deed of violence is wicked and requires penance, but is also an assertion of his individuality that marks him off as special; he is the adventurer, the one who survives, the prosecutor.” (51). Though Wordsworth and Charles Lamb both think that the mariner lacks any type of individuality, they forget that he is the only individualized character in the poem. The author proves this point by saying, “The mariner is freed by grace, a gushing love, from his burden of guilt, and the later part of the poem deals with the moral and religious aspects and consequences of his deed; what it does not do is follow out the possible implication of his act as one of individuation, an act that gives him enduring life in spite of death of his crew, and establishes his claim to be different, to break the barriers, to boldly do what no one has done before, and to cry against anonymity and against heaven.” (51). His point to establish the mariner as an individual who cries against religion is a rather effective interpretation of the theme. As his act of killing the bird is seen as hellish by the crew, who treat the bird as a Christian soul. In his distress, the mariner cries out to “Heaven’s mother” (170), and seeks to forgiveness when he confesses to the hermit upon his return. This theme of the mariner crying out against religion to seek individualism, and later seeking forgiveness from God, is the best interpretation I have heard of the poem. The author does a stupendous job of presenting his views and points, and convincing me to see the piece from a different prospective. This is an article that covers all grounds, and should be looked into by any who enjoy Coleridge’s piece.




Alex Jorge