Use excerpt from the book Mysterious Island by Jules Verne to complete the activity.
Everything was white, from the top of Mount Franklin to the coast—forests, prairie, lake, river, beach. The waters of the Mercy ran under a vault of ice, which cracked and broke with a loud noise at every change of tide. Thousands of birds—ducks and wood-peckers—flew over the surface of the lake. The rocks between which the cascade plunged to the borders of the Plateau were blocked up with ice. One would have said that the water leaped out of a huge gargoyle, cut by some fantastic artist of the Renaissance. To calculate the damage done to the forest by this hurricane would be impossible until the snow had entirely disappeared.
Spilett, Pencroff, and Herbert took this opportunity to look after their traps and had hard work finding them under their bed of snow. There was danger of their falling in themselves; a humiliating thing to be caught in one’s own trap! They were spared this annoyance, however, and found the traps had been untouched; not an animal had been caught, although there were a great many footprints in the neighborhood, among others, very clearly impressed marks of claws.
Herbert at once classified these carnivora among the cat tribe, a circumstance which justified the engineer’s belief in the existence of dangerous beasts on Lincoln Island. Doubtless these beasts dwelt in the dense forests of the Far West; but driven by hunger, they had ventured as far as Prospect Plateau. Perhaps they scented the inhabitants of Granite House.
In a complete, well-reasoned essay, identify the theme of the excerpt and explain how you determined that theme.
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From the given excerpt from the book "Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne, there are several themes that can be identified. To determine the theme, one must consider the central message or idea conveyed in the passage. Here is an analysis of the possible themes in the provided excerpt:
1. Harsh Winter Conditions: The theme of the harsh winter conditions is prevalent throughout the passage. The vivid depiction of the white landscape, frozen waters, and ice-covered rocks emphasizes the extreme nature of the winter on the island.
2. Survival and Resourcefulness: The characters, Spilett, Pencroff, and Herbert, are shown actively attempting to survive in the challenging environment. They are maintaining their traps in order to catch animals for food, demonstrating their resourcefulness and resilience.
3. Fear of Dangerous Beasts: The mentions of footprints and claws suggest the presence of dangerous carnivorous animals on the island. The theme of fear and caution in the face of potential threats is highlighted as the characters speculate about these creatures.
To determine the most suitable theme for the excerpt, it is necessary to analyze the passage as a whole. In this case, the theme that seems most fitting is "Survival and Resourcefulness." The characters' actions of attending to their traps and adapting to the winter conditions imply their determination to survive and their ability to utilize available resources effectively.
When analyzing an excerpt or text to identify a theme, it is essential to carefully consider the key ideas, character actions, and emotions conveyed in the passage. By examining these elements, one can draw conclusions about the underlying theme of the text.