The Man in the Water and The Seventh Man Comparison Essay

This essay can compare Haruki Mukami’s The Seventh Man and the article written by
journalist Roger Rosenblatt. The design the two authors had chosen and the approach to their
storytelling. The most distinction is that the story’s theme, which was composed of grief and
misery, is written in an exceedingly somber tone and the burden the person should modify the
guilt of losing his beloved friend a few years ago. The Seventh Man is about a man who deals
with losing his friend, whereas The Man in the Water revolves around a man’s sacrifice, bravery,
and heroism.
In The Man in the Water story, Rosenblatt’s main point is that human nature will often
rise even though nature will cause a disaster. The Seventh Man is not a story of joy or a search
for happiness, for it is a report of a man attempting to reconcile with his past trauma. Rosenblatt
uses a broader range of techniques when compared to Murakami’s methods. In lines 62-63, “that
kept our thoughts on him, and which keeps our thoughts on him still” Allen, J. (2012),
Rosenblatt uses a process where he uses sentence fragments to create drama and emphasis, and
this technique is called Syntax Dictation. Syntax Dictation is parallel and adds rhythm and
structure to their writing. In contrast, Murakami uses foreshadowing and symbolism techniques.
In both Murakami and Rosenblatt’s stories, the characters written at each level are what
made their stories feel extraordinary. In Murakami’s narrative, for example, the individual who
witnessed the tragedy is the one who explains what happened. Having the individual who lived
through the catastrophe narrate an anecdote is a fantastic approach to engage the readers and
keep them captivated on the topic of the story. Readers in Rosenblatt’s narrative receive the more
professional and to-the-point aspect of the individuals in the tragedy; as a corollary, readers do
not get to see the stories behind the characters who experienced the calamity. In lines 81-82, “the
odd thing is that we do not even really believe that the man in the water lost his fight” Allen, J.
(2012), Rosenblatt writes how the Man in the Water feels when helping others in need instead of
himself. It is much more fascinating in Murakami's narrative to see from the characters who
experienced the tragedy and how they felt throughout the crisis. Without the characters' point of
view, the exact changes in the atmosphere that happened just before the tragedy would not have
been recounted with such specificity in lines 66-71.
The topic of the Seventh Man is long-term reconciliation with his prior suffering, and the
theme of The Man in the Water is how everyone can help another person. Murakami’s and
Rosenblatt’s stories are highly related since they both feature articles identical to their stories.
Both of them speak about humanity’s unbearable encounters with nature during the most
inopportune moments. In Murakami’s story, a man recalls his encounter with the tsunami in a bit
of cottage late at night. The Seventh Man is a 1930s story set in a small Japanese village. On the
other hand, mentioned in lines 18-21, “Last Wednesday, the elements, as indifferent as ever,
brought down Flight 90” Allen, J. (2012). Where nature took down an aircraft into the Potomac
River, carrying 74 passengers and five crew members, and left with only four passengers and one
crew member surviving.
Even though a narrative can be incredibly well written, readers will not fully absorb and
comprehend whatever the author is saying without the right mood, tone, and voice. For example,
in Murakami's narrative, lines 3-6, “The small group that huddled in a circle could hear the wind
tearing through the darkness outside. Describe what the night was like for the guys who talked
about the tsunami years before. Without even a description and a comprehensive explanation of
the night, readers may conclude that it was a bright and sunny day when, in fact, it was the
reverse. Rosenblatt tends to convey his story in a more storytelling way, making the story feel
more pressing and raw when compared to Murakami’s.
Both The Man in the Water and The Seventh Man portray individuals being murdered by
natural disasters. The sacrifice of the main character in The Seventh Man should raise the
question of whether or not to sacrifice for another person should be considered. The main
character is dealing with intense mental turmoil, nightmares, and guilt due to the sacrifice, but in
The Man in the Water, on the other hand in lines 71-72, “We ought to come and find again that
humans are the ones who are powerless in the world” Allen, J. (2012), meaning that there is
debate over how long it takes to save someone.
There is no doubt that Rosenblatt and Murakami's narrative is phenomenal, as is the
number of expressions and techniques used throughout the stories. Both stories were delivered in
simple terms, yet they elicited a wide range of reactions from the audience. The two stories stress
the worth of humanity, which may be taken away in an instant, and illustrate the risks of natural
calamities, which humans face without notice.

Bibliography

Allen, J. (2012). Holt McDougal Literature Grade 10. Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.