How does the author’s choice to write the story in three alternating voices—the first-person diary; the third-person narration; the relation of the news reports—serve to further the plot?

How does the author convey the terror and despair that the castaways experience while on the lifeboat? For what purpose? Use examples from the text to demonstrate your claims.

What is the primary theme of the novel, and how do the character’s words and actions contribute to this theme?