"The Fog Horn" Summary
"The Fog Horn" Summary
In the story, "The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury, out in the cold water, far from land, there was a lighthouse. The plot follows Johnny, the protagonist and narrator, and his boss, McDunn who are putting in a night's work at a remote lighthouse. The lighthouse's resonating fog horn attracts a sea monster that lives in the deep part of the ocean. The sea monster ends up destroying the place. This was actually the third time the monster had visited the place. He had been attracted by the same fog horn on the same night two years earlier. McDunn attributes the monster's actions to feelings of unrequited love for the lighthouse, whose fog horn sounds identical to the cries of the sea monster itself. The fog horn tricks the monster into thinking it has found another one of his kind, once who acts as thought the monster did not exist. When the horn is turned off, the monster destroys the lighthouse in complete anger. Reluctantly, both workers survive the incident, and within a year the light house in rebuilt. Although, this time to concrete is made out of steel, for extra protection. The protagonist, Johnny had found a new home, a new job, and has gotten married. When Johnny goes back to visit McDunn, he said that the monster never returned and it'll wait back in the deeps until mankind is gone before it looks for others of its kind again.
I believe that the theme of this story is "loneliness can be taken for granted". It's 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 like he doesn't mind being alone. McDunn actually seems to find comfort in the loneliness of the empty sea and the "mysteries" of it. Also, he describes the sound of the fog horn as "a big lonely animal crying in the night". Later McDunn explains to Johnny how
In the story, "The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury, out in the cold water, far from land, there was a lighthouse. The plot follows Johnny, the protagonist and narrator, and his boss, McDunn who are putting in a night's work at a remote lighthouse. The lighthouse's resonating fog horn attracts a sea monster that lives in the deep part of the ocean. The sea monster ends up destroying the place. This was actually the third time the monster had visited the place. He had been attracted by the same fog horn on the same night two years earlier. McDunn attributes the monster's actions to feelings of unrequited love for the lighthouse, whose fog horn sounds identical to the cries of the sea monster itself. The fog horn tricks the monster into thinking it has found another one of his kind, once who acts as thought the monster did not exist. When the horn is turned off, the monster destroys the lighthouse in complete anger. Reluctantly, both workers survive the incident, and within a year the light house in rebuilt. Although, this time to concrete is made out of steel, for extra protection. The protagonist, Johnny had found a new home, a new job, and has gotten married. When Johnny goes back to visit McDunn, he said that the monster never returned and it'll wait back in the deeps until mankind is gone before it looks for others of its kind again.
I believe that the theme of this story is "loneliness can be taken for granted". It's 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 like he doesn't mind being alone. McDunn actually seems to find comfort in the loneliness of the empty sea and the "mysteries" of it. Also, he describes the sound of the fog horn as "a big lonely animal crying in the night". Later McDunn explains to Johnny how