Meaning & Analysis
If a man possesses good luck, he will survive and prosper even if subjected to a seemingly insurmountable and fatal challenge, such as being thrown into the ocean.
Insights
Supremacy of Luck over Skill
The proverb asserts that good fortune is the single most important factor for success, outweighing skill, intelligence, or effort. A lucky person is believed to be inherently protected from harm and destined to succeed, no matter the adversity they face.
Success Amidst Chaos
It serves as a statement on the unpredictable and often irrational nature of life's outcomes. The 'sea' represents the chaos and hostility of the world, which a fortunate individual can navigate and overcome not through capability, but through sheer chance.
Invincibility Through Fortune
The proverb highlights a belief in an almost supernatural form of resilience endowed by luck. An individual with good fortune is seen as invincible, capable of enduring any trial or tribulation that life presents.
Historical Symbolism of the Sea
The sea, historically a symbol of immense, uncontrollable danger, serves as the ultimate test of fortune. In an era when being cast into the ocean was a virtual death sentence, the proverb uses this extreme scenario to argue that true luck is a force more powerful than the most formidable physical threats.
Psychological Rationalization
This proverb reflects a deep-seated psychological need to rationalize success and failure that seems to defy logic or merit. Attributing outcomes to an external, uncontrollable force like 'luck' provides a framework for understanding why some individuals prosper despite their flaws or lack of effort.
Fatalism and Determinism
The proverb embodies a fatalistic worldview, suggesting that an individual's destiny is predetermined by the fortune they are allotted. It minimizes the role of agency, skill, or hard work, aligning with a belief system where external forces, rather than personal endeavor, dictate the course of life.
Social Commentary on Merit
As a form of social commentary, the proverb can be interpreted as a cynical observation on social mobility and justice. It suggests that success is not earned but arbitrarily granted, questioning the fairness of a world where chance can elevate one person and doom another, regardless of their intrinsic worth.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
The extreme and dramatic act of throwing someone into the sea is a powerful use of hyperbole, designed to illustrate the absolute and almost magical power of luck in its most exaggerated form.
Juxtaposition
The proverb juxtaposes the abstract concept of 'luck' with the concrete, violent peril of the 'sea'. This stark contrast effectively emphasizes the idea that an intangible quality can overcome a physical, life-threatening reality.
Imperative Mood
The structure 'Give... and throw...' uses the imperative mood to present the idea as a proven formula or a universal truth. It gives the statement a sense of authority and finality, as if it were an undeniable law of nature.
Transcription
Quotations
She [Fortune] vseth neuer partiall handes for to offend, or please, Geue me good Fortune all men sayes, and throw me in the seas.
Giue me good luck and throw mee into the Seas.
Give a man luck and cast him over the gallous.
Now do I see the old proverb come to pass—Give a woman luck, and cast her into the sea.
Give him this luck, and fling him into the sea.
Giue mee fortune, and cast me into the Sea.
Heere the Prouerbe comes in and joynes well; that, Give a man luck, and cast him in the Sea.
(fortune and cast him).
Give a man fortune, throw him i' the Sea.
The English say, Give one Luck, and fling him in the Sea.
(and cast him in the Sea).
Cross References
Annotations
- Spoken when a Man is unexpectedly fortunate.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.