The Fog Horn

In the short story "The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury the theme "loneliness can be taken for granted" is best shown through the actions of McDunn and the creature in the sea. McDunn describes living at the lighthouse as a "lonely life", but it seems he doesn't mind being alone. McDunn seems to find comfort in the loneliness of the empty sea and the "mysteries" of it. As well, he describes the sound of the fog horn as "a big lonely animal crying in the night". Later McDunn explains to Johnny how once a year a creature comes to visit the lighthouse. Conveniently enough, this was the night the creature was supposed to visit. When the gigantic creature, one of its kind arrives, Johnny is, as most people would be, in complete shock. McDunn points out how the lonely sound made by the fog horn and the sound made by the creature are identical. The creature comes there every year because it thinks the fog horn is one of its kind, and feels as if it had a friend. McDunn seems to find a lot of comfort in these emotions expressed by the creature, almost as if he can relate to its loneliness. When Johnny decides to turn off the fog horn to see what happens, like anybody who had just lost somebody significant, the creature gets very furious, and destroys the lighthouse. To all of us, there seems to be something comforting about feeling lonely, and to let your emotions flutter. It creates a rush, almost like adrenalin to keep on going through life strong, which is what I believe keeps McDunn going everyday, in the loneliness of the lighthouse.

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