Final answer:
In "The Helmsman," water represents fate, as seen through descriptions of the sea's overwhelming and uncontrollable nature that dictates the characters' experiences, mirroring their battles with destiny.
Step-by-step explanation:
In "The Helmsman," water seems to symbolize fate. The incessant references to the sea and its conditions throughout the narrative depict it as an uncontrollable and indifferent force determining the course of events.
The characters' confrontations with the sea mirror their battles with fate, highlighted by phrases like "why, in the name of the seven mad gods, who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far" and descriptions of the characters' submission to the sea's overwhelming power, akin to submitting to an inexorable destiny.
The scenes describing the characters' struggles in the water, hoping for salvation while being toyed with by the waves, emphasize the futility of their efforts against an indifferent fate.
Moreover, the sea's unpredictability, with its changing currents and sudden waves, serves as a metaphor for the capriciousness of fate, underscored when the captain commands, "Keep her head up," as a means of staying afloat amidst adversity.
This also aligns with the mention of the captain's dejection, which evokes the feeling of surrender to an immense power beyond control. The realization of one's powerlessness against the vast sea hints at the broader theme of accepting one's fate.