Call it Courage

Throughout Mafatu’s quest, his many survival skills keep him alive, yet he is ultimately at nature’s mercy. Although he is an expert sailor and knows how to use the available natural resources to make everything he needs—food, tools, shelter, and a canoe—his survival depends on elements that lie outside of his control. Similarly, Mafatu’s mother was skillful in her handling of a canoe, but her skill was no match for the ocean’s power, which carried her canoe beyond the reef. Through these examples of human vulnerability, Sperry shows the immense power of nature. Even humans who have years of experience surviving in nature are no match for nature’s full strength.

Mafatu recognizes his helplessness in nature at a young age, which makes him particularly fearful. Sperry uses vivid descriptions of the sounds of the sea, such as “thunder,” “crash,” “mutter,” and “screaming” (8-9), to reflect Mafatu’s fear of the ocean. Sperry also personifies the ocean, calling the waves “the sea’s hungry fingers” (10). His use of figurative language to depict the ocean emphasizes Mafatu’s recognition of the ocean’s power. Mafatu’s acknowledgment of nature’s mercilessness motivates him to search for supernatural help.