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Ship In A Bottle Analysis

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Trapped In “Ship in a Bottle” a short story from the book Olive Kitteridge, there is many meanings that can be interpreted from the title of the chapter. The meaning of “ship in a Bottle” can portrayed as a literal and a figurative way throughout the chapter. Jims ship being trapped, as it was too big to get out of the basement served as a literal portrayal. Julie feeling trapped by her mother as a figurative portrayal. Lastly, Anita being trapped by her own house in a figurative way.
The most obvious way “Ship in a Bottle” is portrayed is literally, through Jim’s ship. Jim’s ship was being built in his basement. He planned to build it accordingly to get it out of the basement, but he began to have second thoughts as it was being built; “But I’m beginning to wonder”. (189) The ship being too big to get out of the basement represented the idea of “Ship in a Bottle” in a literal way. The boat …show more content…

In this figurative portrayal of “Ship in a Bottle”, Anita is the ship and her house is the bottle. Anita is sentimentally trapped by her house because her father bought it for her; “She wants to stay in the house because her poor now-lost-and-legendary father bought it” (195) The house even with all its flaws, Anita wanted to stay there instead of move into the city like her husband would have. She wanted to stay there because the house had a lot of meaning to her as not only had her father bought it, but also all the memory’s she had there could have been a factor.
“Ship in a Bottle” portrayed its meaning in literal and figurative ways. Jim’s ship was interpreted as a literal meaning as his ship was trapped in the basement. Julie feeling trapped by her mother as she is very controlling, portrayed as figurative. Anita seemed to be trapped to her house for sentimental meanings, and this as well was portrayed as figurative. Julie seemed to be the only one to break her bottle and free

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