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Changing Themes In Tom Godwin's The Cold Equations '

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A Stowaway in the Space Tom Godwin’s The Cold Equations clearly shows how much technology can affect people’s lives, and it can even let them live outside of the planet but it also limits the range of freedom. In this short story The Cold Equations, Godwin uses Barton and Marilyn’s changing characters and the setting of the story to convey several different themes. First of all, Godwin focuses on Barton’s changing character to show the theme regarding the laws of nature. For example, the narrator says “men could learn to use them, but men could not change them” (176) which shows the irrevocableness and immutableness of the law. Since Marilyn is discovered in the ship, by the law, she must be jettisoned right away. However, Barton thinks that she can not be blamed for her ignorance of the law since “she was of Earth and had not realized that the laws of the space frontier” (167). Although Barton has a good heart and is quickly moved from jettisoning men to compassion about jettisoning a young girl. He can not do anything for her except send the last letter she wrote to her family, which reveals that the laws of nature are heartless and unchangeable no matter who you are. Through these carefully crafted linguistic description, Godwin shows the coldness and …show more content…

For instance, Marilyn keeps saying that “you’re going to make me die and I didn’t do anything to die for- I didn’t do anything” (183) through this story because personally she just wants to see her brother and there is nothing wrong with that point, but by the law and other six people’s lives includes Barton, there is no other way for her to choose. Even though Marilyn is a young girl who does not get a chance to experience and see the world, she has to go. Through Marilyn’s changing character, Godwin shows the hopelessness and difficulty that need to be confronted during a short

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