Abstract
There are various ways in which one can approach the study of water from an ‘island studies’ perspective. There are myriad methodologies that allow us to connect with water: and this book is itself testimony to this epistemological richness and diversity. In this brief essay, I will highlight two, extreme interpretations of the role of the sea and the ocean. In their own contrasting ways, their insights illuminate the myriad interconnectivities that Homo sapiens have with the sea. These bonds become deeper and more intimate when dealing with islands and islanders. Moreover, as we progress towards smaller and smaller islands, the role of the sea becomes more salient. In small islands, life is dictated and determined by the ferry schedule. What goes on aboard ferries, and during that ever necessary downtime when one must wait to board, is an integral part of small island life: ferry tales, indeed (Vannini, 2012).
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Filmography
The Old Man and the Sea. (1958). Directed by John Sturges.
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Baldacchino, G. (2022). Islands and the Sea. In: Boswell, R., O’Kane, D., Hills, J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Blue Heritage. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99347-4_3
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