English Discussion 5 Response 1

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING POST OF ANOTHER CLASSMATE IN 50 WORDS OR MORE:
1. The father forcing his family to stay in Albertine’s watch was a sacrifice in itself, and in doing so, his daughter “Iphigenia,”  ended up being sacrificed to the tides surrounding them. The article states that there are several versions of the story that depict Iphigenia’s fate; Iphigenia is sacrificed and dies, or Iphigenia is saved by Artemis. Towards the end of “The Last Grand Tour of Albertine’s Watch,” Iphigenia is being pulled around by the forces of the water and is almost being gripped by life and death all at once. Her dead mother seems to be comforting her in death, while Hayden and Clay desperately grasp at bringing her to life. This feels like an homage to the tale of Iphigenia because no one knows what truly happened to her, and neither do the readers of this story. Did she pass away before they pulled her out of the murky waters or was she saved?
2. The falling out between the families came about when both started profiting off of tours, which led to rivalry. It was the only practical way to make money in their current circumstances. Hayden’s family felt threatened by Clay’s touring methods and decided to destroy his pontoon boat by setting it on fire. I found it ironic that Hayden’s family homes, which are now the only ones standing above the flood, were made fun of back in the day.
3. The state stopped putting in money for repairs because they didn’t want to support the people choosing to stay or sway others to stay by making alterations to the land. Instead, they paid residents to leave the area and move inland. Iphigenia’s father seemed to be in denial about the state of their property and the unsafe conditions surrounding his family. He decided to keep his family there and continue tours of the town for tourists, even after his wife died in the local hospital during the first flooding. The tourists see the town as a form of entertainment and a way to make themselves feel better about their own problems by criticizing the people living in Albertine’s Watch.
4. The author portrays Iphigenia’s drowning in a way that shows the stress of living in these circumstances. All the choices and the pressure swirling around her until everything just stops; all the chaos of life ceases for a moment. Iphigenia says that she was beyond her limit and the drowning is almost symbolic of the decision’s consequences catching up with her.
5. Albertine’s Watch was subject to rising water from climate change and the article poses a solution that could have stopped the town from being destroyed. The seawall keeps the tide from flooding the city, but what happens to all the rainwater that won’t drain to the sea? In Key Largo, a small barrier was built in one of the neighborhoods that was experiencing flooding from the tides. So even though they don’t have flooding from the ocean, every time it rains, the entire neighborhood floods for days. While the construction of seawalls is a solution to one problem, their existence will create additional issues for residents and the wildlife that rely on coastal habitats.