“Manuscript Found in a Bottle” is a short story of American writer Edgar Poe. The unnamed narrator writes the manuscript, describing his harrowing adventures at the sea. He tells us all details of the events, so it proves that he is the witness to this event.
Reading this short story I felt that it was written under the influence of Herman Melville. This story is of science fiction nature and is peculiar for its style which astonishes a reader.
As we know the ship is hit by hurricane and capsized. Only narrator and the old Swede are lucky to be overboard. The ship of narrator collides with another ship where the narrator has found different maps and tools.
What is special about this short story is that we can identify in it the features of the various genres of literature, including science fiction, sea tale and horror story. The horror of this story is based on the characteristics of the physical world, which is beyond the limits of human exploration. The narrator deals with the unknown catastrophe, which horrifies him and provokes interest at the same time.
Edgar Poe’s story is ambiguous and it is treated differently by different people. There is a thought that “Manuscript Found in a Bottle” is a parody of sea stories. The absurdity of its plot may mean the absurdity of our life. During our life we also struggle with the unknown catastrophe.
To my mind this short story is the result of wild, creative, vigorous and poetical imagination. It is rich on the combination of styles and genres, ambiguity of plot and idea. Its fantastic events astonish, horrify and inspire us to read it.