Power is a very relevant and controversial topic in society today. For the summer reading assignment, I chose to read The Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag and Tara O’Conner’s graphic novel, Fly by Night. Major ways that power affected my story are as follows; how power was portrayed in the novel, how the power affected the plot, and how the outcome of this power rendered the conclusion. The repeating theme of power was present in various ways that make it important to acknowledge. 

Over the course of these novels, power was presented mainly through otherworldly beings. In The Girl from the Sea, power was shown through majestic creatures called selkies. The following quote shows the capability of the selkies when put into a life or death situation, “She saved my life” (Ostertag 236).  Keltie saves Serena from a near death experience and determined the fate of various instances throughout the novel. The power of unconditional love and devotion was flourishing in this story.  A devil also makes numerous appearances in Fly by Night. “I was too late, I could not save her, but I set her free” (O’Connor 228). The aforementioned quote proves that the devil also held an important responsibility of supporting the motif. Power was a constant symbol throughout both of the stories and was a key component to the plots. 

Power affected these novels because it played an important role in our understanding of the story.  Power was displayed through fate, destiny, and fortune. In The Girl from the Sea, the protagonist, Morgan didn’t have control over the outcome of her journey. A quote that exhibits this is, “It comes in like a storm from the sea, all sudden and powerful and impossible to predict. And in its wake, things are changed forever” (Ostertag 244). Morgan’s destiny was unpredictable and unchangeable, she was forced into a life that she did not desire. In Fly by Night, a similar instance was exposed to the reader. A significant quote that goes along with the previous quote is, “Maybe it's better this way. Maybe letting her live on in their hope is all the closure they need” (O’Connor 268). Even though Dee may not want to accept the truth, it cannot change the past. The longer she fights to keep her sister’s memory alive the harder it will be to let go. The relevance between these two quotes is that they connect to the plot. They share a lot in common regarding fate and fortune in the eyes of a powerful force. 

The outcome that power had on the characters within these books was overall negative. Although the plot was eventful and full of twists and turns, neither story ended in the character’s favor. For example, in The Girl from the Sea, Morgan says, “It's funny how quickly something new can become normal. Even when it's messy. And confusing.” (Ostertag 240). This shows that Morgan isn’t necessarily happy with the outcome of her situation. Her new found love is taken away from her for seven years and she is experiencing an awful lot of uncertainty. Morgan’s girlfriend Keltie has a secret that results in the fallout of both of the main characters. One of the last text containers in Fly by Night says, “A psychiatric hospital in Maryland gave me a call this morning with the details… and well… here we are.” (O’Connor 306). These are the last words that Dee is presented with before she discovers that her sister was a victim in a domestic dispute. This relationship conflict resulted in the death of her twin sister Beth. Dee struggles with the news and the story does not have a happy ending like we would have originally anticipated. 

Neither story had a positive outcome and this was due to the lack of productive and beneficial power present in the novel. Both The Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag and Tara O’Conner’s bestselling novel, Fly by Night, concluded in an unsatisfactory manner. The ways that power was shown in the books, what effect the power had on the plot, and how the outcome of this power reached the conclusion were all important components to our comprehension of the novels. Power affected both of the protagonists negatively and the motif presented the reader with a valuable lesson.