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Analysis Of Tom Godwin's Short Story 'The Cold Equations'

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Tom Godwin’s short story “The Cold Equations” illustrates how one should think of and become accepting of their consequences whether it's deserved or not. The story is about an Emergency Dispatch Ship, also known as an EDS, with the pilot on a mission to give a group of six men who have a fatal fever. The pilot, Barton, during his mission finds a stowaway named Marilyn found in a small closet on the ship. Marilyn was a young girl trying to go to Mimir, for she had a destination waiting and hoped to see her brother who she hasn't seen in 10 years, but little did she know that there was a previously set protocol that determines the life of a stowaway. Barton had sympathy for the girl and did his best to help her by contacting headquarters and asked if there was any way he could spare Marilyn’s life …show more content…

Another example happens when Marilyn learns about the protocol from Barton. “You're going to make me die and I didn't do anything to die for--I didn't do anything--”(4). Marilyn cries about how she hasn't done anything, but in reality she was the one who walked on the ship to see her brother who she would've seen in a year if she waited. Now she could never see him. She walked past the sign that said “UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL KEEP OUT,” absentmindedly not thinking about the true consequences of her actions. The last quote is when she was talking to Barton about the protocol with more intel. “There isn't enough fuel for me to stay; when I hid on this ship I got into something I didn't know about and now I have to pay for it.” Once Marilyn learned that it was either her life or 7 others she decided to sacrifice her life. She became more accepting of the consequence and even said her good-bys. She then willingly walked off the ship knowing she had to. “The Cold Equations” written by Tom Godwin illuminates one should acknowledge and be accepting to their consequences if it was deserved or

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The short story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin explains sacrifice throughout the story. In the beginning, Maryland made a sacrifice to see her brother who she hasn't seen in awhile “...I haven't seen him for so long, i didn't want to wait another year when I could see him now…” when she said this she had realized that she had broken some kind of regulation.

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In the not so short story “the cold equations” the author presents a hard decision to kill one or many the killing of one to save many is decided. Tom godwin wrote a story about an EDS pilot who find a stowaway-- an 18 year old girl named Marilyn. Marilyn snuck on the little ship halling fever medicine for 6 men that were sent to the planet Woden. The pilot gets to know Marilyn who snuck on the ship to go see her brother who was on the other side of Woden. The rule was any sort of stowaway was to be jettisoned immediately “ He would, of course, do it.

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In the short story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin, he portrays a theme that when life goes against what seems to be imminent death, death will come through and persevere. In the beginning of the story an EDS pilot takes off to send a flu serum to a group of people on the planet called Woden, with just enough fuel to get there by himself. But as he is making his way there he finds out there is a girl that has hidden on his ship, named Marilyn, to get to her brother that is on Woden, but he can’t just kick her out of the ship because it’s a girl. So he calls a cruiser with a commander on it, but he only says that he must kick her out of the ship, and there is nothing they can do to help save her, which makes Marilyn feel very alone. Marilyn

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She probably couldn’t even imagine such dire consequences, having lived a sheltered life on Earth “where life was precious and well guarded and there was always the assurance that tomorrow would come” (9). Barton, of course, lives in a different world, “where the lives of men could be as fragile and fleeting as sea foam tossed against a rocky shore” (9). Barton lives his life according to the previously mentioned cold equations. The unspoken question this poses creates a new feeling of suspense: Will Barton be able to save Marilyn? Godwin shows that while Barton feels bad about Marilyn’s situation and remorseful about what must be done, he is blunt and honest with Marilyn about what will happen to her.

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