The main theme of “The Cold Equations” is about sacrifice . One person, although a young, pretty teen who has seen very little of life yet, has to be sacrificed for the good of others. Along with the pilot of the EDS, seven other people would die if she remained.
What is the meaning of the cold equation?
The “cold equations” referred to in Tom Godwin’s title are the calculations which confirm that the ship Stardust cannot accommodate any extra weight , and that, in accordance with laws pertaining to EDS stowaways, Marilyn, who just wanted to see her brother, must be jettisoned.
What is the plot of The Cold Equations?
“The Cold Equations” is a short story by Tom Godwin in which a girl named Marilyn sneaks onto a cargo ship headed for the planet where her brother lives . Marilyn hasn’t seen her brother in ten years. Unaware of the laws surrounding stowaways, Marilyn sneaks onto a cargo ship bound for the planet her brother lives on.
What is the mood in The Cold Equations?
Mood- Mood: daunting . The mood of the setting is daunting. This is because the EDS pilot did not know how to handle the situation and the little girl did not know what she had done wrong.
What does the pilot want in The Cold Equations?
The only thing that the pilot wants, in “The Cold Equations”, is to be able to save the stowaway that got into his spaceship without ...
What is the conflict in The Cold Equations?
The conflict of Tom Godwin’s short story “The Cold Equations” is that because of a mistake, Marilyn has to die, and Barton has to be the one to send her to her death.
Who is the protagonist in The Cold Equations?
The main characters of the story are the protagonist, pilot Barton , the antagonist, Marilyn Lee Cross, and the two minor characters Commander Delhart and Marilyn’s brother Gerry Cross.
What is the law in The Cold Equations?
The pilot, Barton, discovers a stowaway: an eighteen-year-old girl. By law, all EDS stowaways are to be jettisoned because EDS vessels carry no more fuel than is absolutely necessary to land safely at their destination .
Is the pilot in The Cold Equations good or bad?
From the point of view of the girl, Marilyn, who stows away on the spaceship, the pilot’s actions are bad . She will be jettisoned into space and die, and had not considered the reality of what had to happen once she was discovered. ... If he did not get to the colony, all would die.
What happens at the end of cold equations?
The “cold equations” of physics admit no other solution, and in the end, Marilyn willingly lets herself be jettisoned into space . It’s a shocking ending, and in fact, it wasn’t even Godwin’s idea.
What is the resolution of the cold equations?
Since his internal conflict concerns his inability to do his duty immediately, the story is resolved once Barton is sure he has done all he can for her . In doing all he can for her, he acquires permission from his captain to keep Marilyn on board for as long as the computers say he can.
What is the climax of the Cold Equations by Tom Godwin?
At the climax the girl realizes she is going to die. That she will never see her brother or parents ever again . She had made a huge mistake getting on the EDS. She only wanted to see her brother.
What does Barton realize at the end of the story?
Even after Marilyn is discovered, and Barton realises that his stowaway is no dangerous man, but a teenage girl who is completely ignorant of the repercussions of what she has done , Barton still has to follow the law.
What was the most difficult part to read in The Cold Equations?
Expert Answers
This is a matter of opinion, but personally, the most difficult part for me (assuming you mean emotionally difficult rather than challenging to read) was when the girl says goodbye to her brother.
Expert Answers
In the short story “The Cold Equations,” author Tom Godwinwants us to believe Marilyn’s death was an inevitable sacrifice for the greater good . Godwin depicts the inevitability of Marilyn’s death by explaining the mathematical necessity of her death.
How believable is a story like The Cold Equations What examples from the story make you think this?
Tom Godwin’s short story “The Cold Equations” is realistic and believable. The use of space travel in the story is for colonization, exploration and trade . The consequences of the extra weight of the girl on the ship’s deceleration is explained in terms that are understandable and logically in sync with physics.
