Omeros Chapter LX Summary

i

  • Unpredictable January weather makes Achille believe that men outside the island are messing with nature.
  • Seven Seas agrees and says that they will become an endangered species. (Yes, this is climate change we're talking about here.)
  • There are changes in work life of the island as well: Commercial trawlers are siphoning away the fish and shellfish from more traditional seamen such as Achille, and there's just nothing left.
  • He is angry at the greed that's allowed these guys into his territory—now his craft is under siege.
  • Plus, there is no connection between the trawlers and a care for the sea and the natural world.
  • He and Philoctete go on a journey to find another place to fish and start anew, but he can't find a place that he feels connected to like his island. Sad face.

ii

  • Achille and Philoctete wander so far that they spend the night on another beach.
  • He really does feel like an endangered species.
  • The two friends talk until late and wake up in the morning to search for coffee.

iii

  • As they are sailing the next day, the men have a close call with the reefs. 
  • At the last possible moment before destruction, a giant whale surfaces underneath them and throws them clear of danger.
  • They have to bail out the boat, but they are saved. It's a spiritual experience.