Gift From The Sea Analysis And Summary
Photo Courtesy: Olmes Sosa
Today I finished my 60th book of 2023, Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. This is my fifth time reading it and it is a book I try to revisit at least once a year. Some of the common themes include themes on youth, solitude, love, marriage, and peace. It was first published in 1955 when Morrow Lindbergh was fifty-one years old on vacation in Florida’s Captiva Island. She looked at the shells to draw inspiration as to how each one relates to different stages of a woman’s life. She also draws on different themes relating to Feminism. Although this book was written close to seventy years ago, a lot of what she explains and details about a woman’s life still remains relevant and fresh to what a modern woman’s life is today. Yes, times have changed and we live in this digital age world filled with the Internet and social media at our fingertips. However, without that being mentioned I think she brings up some excellent points. The chapters are named after shells and I plan on summarizing and reflecting on each one in chronological order. Some of the chapters were more relatable than others. I am a single, twenty-nine year old woman with no children so the parts where she mentioned raising a family, having children, and experiencing middle age were very unrelatable, yet insightful for what I hope to one day experience and have.
“Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach-waiting for a gift from the sea.”
The book opens up with the chapter titled ‘The Beach’ where Morrow Lindbergh is staying on Captiva Island. She is by herself and reflecting on the importance it is for a woman to have a place of refuge where she can relax and simply be present. The best thing about the beach is that their are no to-do lists as their typically are in every day life.
The first shell and also the next chapter is the “Channelled Whelk’. This type of shell once housed a snail but is empty now. Morrow Lindbergh is referencing to being a mother and I feel that she is alluding to the parallels of the shell holding a life to that of a woman carrying a child and becoming a mother. She adds, “The shape of my life today starts with a family. I have a husband, five children, and, and a home just beyond the suburbs of New York.” When my yoga teacher was talking about this book several years ago and said I may not relate to certain chapters, I could not agree more when it comes to the symbolism of the channelled whelk. As a single, twenty-nine year old woman without any children I hope in the future I’ll be able to relate to this, but as of now I’ll gladly take Morrow Lindberg'h’s insight on it.
“Solitude, says the moon shell. Every person, especially every woman, should be alone sometime during the year, some part of each week, and each day.”
The ‘Moon Shell’ symbolizes solitude and a person being okay with themselves in their own company. This is my favorite chapter, not because it’s the most relatable, but because I couldn’t agree more with what Morrow Lindbergh said about this. So many people have a tough time being alone and it can be such a struggle for so many people, but I feel completely opposite about this. Maybe it’s because I have a lot of hobbies including yoga, reading, crafting, tap dancing, etc. People have always struggled being alone and that was especially true during the pandemic. She explains that, “If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others. We can learn the most and get the most out of our life when we are in fact alone. It’s all about being present and aware that in order to care for those around us we need to care for ourselves and be in tune with our own needs first. The only way we can achieve that is through solitude. The term self care wasn’t around in 1955; theirs no doubt in my mind this is what Morrow Lindbergh was practicing on her trip but self care is at the essence of what this chapter is all about. She also brings up Feminism and how the reasons women in America have so many opportunities and so much more ease in our lives is because of the hard work of the Feminist battles won. Church is also mentioned as a centering ground for women to reflect on peace and solitude.
The ‘Double Sunrise’ seashell relates to the varying stages of marriage and how the relationship evolves over time. Morrow Lindbergh describes it as, “two flawless halves bound together with a single hinge, meeting each other at every point, the dawn of a new day spreading on each face.” She outlines how every relationship seems simple at first but over time it gets complicated with the duties and responsibilities that come with a marriage, a house, a career, and motherhood (if they choose to have children). All of those different layers becomes a lot to balance so they have to compromise and meet in the middle which is what a double-sunrise shell looks like.
The ‘Oyster Bed’ shell is the shell that symbolizes other shells that cling to one another, but also the continuing of a relationship, not necessarily the different stages of it. This is the type of shell and season of life Morrow Lindbergh was in when she wrote this book at fifty-one years old. She was in the middle of her marriage, while also balancing all the other struggles that women endure by the time they hit middle age. She alludes to the oyster stage of a marriage which can mean many different bonds tied to one another besides just romantic love. One thing that really stood out for me is that she said middle age can be seen as a second opportunity of growth, almost like a second adolescence. You can embrace it and go after what you want, almost like a second birth. Although certain things like starting a family are almost near impossible at this age. I do like and appreciate how she says it’s a time to embrace your life with new beginnings, unlike frowning upon getting older and aging which society tells us not to do. It’s such a refreshing perspective for me because as a single 29 year old, I feel a ton of pressure from society as so many women are getting married and having children at my age. Looking back at fifty-one years of her life, Morrow Lindbergh is almost giving reassurance in this book that it is okay to go at your own pace and to not worry what others around you are doing at a certain age, as long as you are growing and discovering new things on your own.
“She must learn not to depend on another, nor to feel she must prove her strength by competing with another. In the past, she has swung between these two opposite poles of dependence and competition, of Victorianism and Feminism. Neither is the true center of being a whole woman. She must find her true center alone. ”
The last shell is the ‘Argonauta’ which is a rare shell that has left its shell for the open seas. It symbolizes the coming of age where a woman is not dependent of anyone else other than herself. The quote mentioned above was mentioned in this chapter and brings up some great references to Feminism. Victorianism is a time period when women appeared significantly weaker than men, whereas Feminism refers to women speaking out about having equal rights and opportunities as men. They are both very opposite of one another and I feel that Morrow Lindbergh brings both of these points regarding being an independent woman up because it’s important for a woman to understand and learn being by herself, not depending on men (Victorianism), but also not being so outspoken and competitive with other women either (Feminism). That was my interpretation of that quote. She also notes the differences between men and women, while also noting that ‘relationships are like islands’.
“Because we can’t deal with the complexity of the present, we often over-ride it and live in a simplified dream of the future. Because we can’t solve our own problems right here at home, we talk about problems out there in the world. An escape process goes on from the intolerable burden we have placed on ourselves. Can one make the future a substitute for the present? And what guarantee have we that the future will be any better if we neglect the present? Can one solve world problems when one is unable to solve one’s own?”
The book opened with a chapter about the beach so it is only fitting that the book closes with a chapter titled ‘The Beach At My Back’. It reflects on real world problems and how everyone has the significance to make a difference and help other people. This book was written in 1955 but there is this one quote that I feel can still be relevant in 2023, ‘Modern communication loads us with more problems than the human frame can carry.’ This was lightyears before cell phones, gadgets, and social media were even a part of our world. I could not agree more with this statement. She is also spot on about how people aren’t very present because they’re either dwelling on the past or anxiously awaiting the future. The beauty and gift from the sea is truly being present and finding joy in the here and now.
Morrow Lindbergh, Anne. Gift From The Sea. Pantheon Books, 1955.