Watery Worlds
Asynchronous Session
Featured Of Sea, Space and Self-Reflexivity: Reading “Ship of Theseus” in S.
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Abhirami Ajith Kumar
In the labyrinthine depths of S., a contemporary experimental fiction, the Ship of Theseus serves as a vessel of self-discovery. Beyond a metaphor, sea is an idea, a medium and a space in the novel where the proverbial “ship” is occupied. Theseus, the mythical hero, after killing the Minotaur, is on an expedition on his ship and “Ship of Theseus,” the inner text of the novel, accommodates the conversations of the characters of the outer text, S., on its margins. In “Ship of Theseus,” the central character S. is an amnesiac who is trying to learn more about himself. S. copes with his memory loss by recreating his true disposition, only to be overshadowed by the remnants of the things he used to be, representing the metaphysical puzzle of the Ship of Theseus. The undercurrent that holds the narrative complexities, including the detachable paratextual elements in the text, is its characteristic self-reflexivity. The paper semiotically analyzes the experimental manifestation of the oceanic journey, while examining how the Ship of Theseus, both a physical object and a conceptual construct, embodies the paradoxes of identity, memory, and consciousness. It also looks at sea as a boundary, particularly between the known and unknown and several other binaries. The primary motive of the paper is to investigate the metaphorical, literary and symbolic significance of the ship in S. and its correlation to self-reflexivity as a narrative strategy.
Praising Oceania: Ecopoetics and Embodied Connections in Craig Santos Perez's "Praise Song for Oceania"
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nancy Goldfarb
Craig Santos Perez’s "Praise Song for Oceania," written for World Oceans Day, is a powerful celebration of the ocean as a life-giving force that connects humanity to the earth and oceans in both ecological and embodied ways. I explore how Perez’s poem blends Indigenous Pacific Islander worldviews with environmental advocacy, emphasizing our deep physical, cultural, and spiritual ties to the ocean. Perez reminds us that the ocean is not just around us—it is within us. Our bodies carry saltwater in our blood and tears, and our hearts beat to the rhythm of the ocean’s waves. The poem also reflects on how life began in the ocean, making it the source of all existence. Through poetic techniques like repetition, metaphor, and invocation, Perez invites an embodied experience of the poem, asking us to feel the ocean not only as a distant entity but as an integral part of who we are. Using ecocritical and postcolonial frameworks, this session analyzes how "Praise Song for Oceania" situates the ocean as a sacred and interconnected force, central to identity, survival, and environmental advocacy. By evoking both emotional and physical connections to the sea, Perez’s work inspires a deeper commitment to marine preservation and climate action. This study will support educators, poets, and activists who seek to understand how art can bridge personal experience and global environmental issues, fostering a profound recognition of our shared origin and destiny with the ocean.
