The Aurora
Most of the action in the novel takes place aboard the claustrophobic, isolated and alienating cruise ship Aurora as it embarks upon its maiden journey to see the Northern Lights packed with special invited guests and journalists. The portrayal of ship life as a kind of self-operating independent society of its own and on its own is foreshadowed imagery which briefly overcomes the narrator as she initially boards:
“I had a sudden disorienting image of the Aurora as a ship imprisoned in a bottle—tiny, perfect, isolated, and unreal—and of myself, shrinking down to match it with every step I took towards the boat.”
Drowning
Drowning becomes a tool of imagery thanks to the various figurative meanings and connotations which the English language has adopted into everyday use. It is imagery used as foreshadowing for the reality of definitive drowning which the story ultimately confronts, but the authors subtly plots the path toward the literal through the figurative:
“The tub was barely four feet long. I had trouble contorting myself so I could rinse my hair, let alone drown.”
“I took a gulp, trying to drown my nerves.”
“But whatever Ben had been about to say, it was drowned out by the ting ting ting! of metal against champagne flute”
The Wink
There is a major character in the story whom the narrator has some trouble figuring out. He is wealthy and privileged, yet successfully projects a very down-to-earth persona. At the same time, the narrator also picks up a distinctly negative vibe that increasingly draws her suspicions. This duality of personality is capture in recurring instances of an image of the man winking. The first time she notices it, it is described as nothing more than a wink. At the second occurrence, there is just enough about it that seems a little off that she provides a little psychological profiling. When the wink is directed toward her, it is under circumstances which makes it contribute to the overall awkwardness of her situation. These references to the character’s wink keep growing in negative intensity as she learns more about him and as such almost acts as imagery which provides a key to unlocking what really lurks inside.
The Aurora Borealis
The ship is called the Aurora. It is headed to the Norwegian fjords to offer passengers a spectacular view of the northern lights. The owner of the toasts to the launching of the maiden voyage by saying that everyone should the dazzling display before they die, an opinion which turns out in retrospect to have had a rather sinister edge to it. A presentation on the phenomena is suddenly canceled at the last minute and by the time story ends, the narrator has finally seen the aurora and finally puts together the connection between them and the powerful man at the center of the story: the influence of both the lights and the man seem beyond escape.
