Essay Questions

How does Porter describe foolishness in her book ‘Ship of fools’?

Throughout the book, the author describes foolishness as self-misconception. For instance, the author describes all the people in the as foolish because they think that they know everything, and they have the ability to control any eventuality that might come along the way. Instead of understanding the storm dynamics in the sea, the crew thinks that everything will go as they expect. Therefore, the author is categorical that self-fallacy or delusion is the greatest form of foolishness.

What is the irony of religion as explained by the author?

The basic understanding of people is that religion is a uniting factor that connects individuals with their creator or the supernatural being. For instance, Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and life after death. Ironically, in this book is the genesis of hatred against the Jews. The Germans are killing and imprisoning Jews because they are viewed as evil people who killed Christ. Similarly, the Jews hate the Germans because they are discriminating against them. Consequently, instead of religion being a uniting factor, it creates division and hatred.

What is the symbolic meaning of the ship described by the author?

The ship described by the author is carrying people from one destination to the other. The ship is a symbol of life because it carries people coming from various parts of the world. The reader realizes that the characters in the ship have divergent backgrounds. For instance, there are Germans and Americans among other nationalities. People from different parts of the world have different views on religion, politics and economic issues. Therefore, the conflict in the ship is due to different views among the people. Consequently, the ship is a perfect representation of what is really happening in the world.