The Effects of Sea Creatures on Humans

“The Shell Collector” is mostly about the effects sea creatures can have on human beings. The blind protagonist is obsessed with marine shell life, a part of the natural world he can investigate through his sense of touch. But when some sea life comes into contact with humans, it can be hurtful, even fatal. The cone shell kills Josh and threatens the life of the collector himself. The people who fall against fire coral are badly cut and burned. It takes knowledge and care to avoid being injured, and the collector avoids being hurt until the night he is drugged with hashish. Nearby in Lamu, people believe the sting of the cone shell which cured Seema may be able to deliver them from various other afflictions: lepers and mentally ill people flock to the collector’s kibanda and take...