Essential Elements of "The Star Thrower"

Much of the flavor of "The Star Thrower" is lost in the condensed versions that are retold in newspaper articles, e-mail forwards, and on many websites. Most of these renditions are told in order to inspire people to "make a difference," and only the encounter with the star thrower is needed to meet that objective. Even with this inspirational goal, there are two essential aspects of "The Star Thrower" that are neglected in most versions of the story - the presence of the collectors and the fact that Eiseley’s character eventually joins the star thrower in saving the starfish.

The collectors are an essential element of "The Star Thrower" story because they provide a contrast for the actions of the star thrower. Valerie Hansen says at the end of her version of story, "Eiseley ... was referring to starfish collectors who sold the specimens for money versus those who were becoming more ecologically aware and thought to do something about preserving the species." Jennifer Cram also contrasts the collectors and the star thrower in the conclusion of a keynote address. She says, "Shell collectors gather up the products of the beach for their own purposes, and give nothing back. Their focus is the bottom line. Star throwers focus on the top line..." The star thrower’s actions provide a more powerful message when he goes against the norm of the collectors and saves the starfish.

The collectors only appear in six versions of "The Star Thrower" that I found on over 170 websites. The collectors appear most often in religious sermons as an example of people who destroy and exploit life. Reverend David Bumbaugh uses the story of the star thrower to preach that it is important to serve life. He concludes his sermon by saying, "This is our great calling, the vocation we all share, the ministry which is ours as women and men of faith: To serve life; no matter how futile the effort may sometimes seem, to serve life unceasingly." The contrast between the collectors who destroy life and the star thrower who serves life is essential to this sermon. Reverend Richard Fairchild uses the collectors as an example of people who "exploit things for their own personal benefit, ... take every advantage to get ahead, to gain more than they already have..." He says we should instead, like Jesus, choose "to follow the law of love." Here, again, the collectors are important to the point of the sermon.

When Eiseley returns to the beach to join the star thrower in saving starfish, he says, "I understand. Call me another thrower." This conversion in the attitude of Eiseley's character is another essential element of "The Star Thrower." The actions of the star thrower force him to be mindful and to choose not to be an observer. Reverend Kirk Kubicek says in a sermon, "Until seeing the young man on the beach it had never occurred to (Eiseley) how important it is for one creature to help another, and how the seemingly natural order of things might be dramatically altered by the simple actions of one person." Drs. Gary Morsch and Dean Nelson also note that the actions of the star thrower cause Eiseley to reject his original "scientific certainty that the boy’s actions were fruitless." Randy Poole sums up the importance of the change of heart in Eiseley's character in a poem based on the story. He writes, "And I thought, just what a difference, that this boy has made in me."

In all of the websites that I found that recount a version of "The Star Thrower," Eiseley's character only joins the star thrower in saving the starfish in 17 versions. This is a lot better than the number of versions that mention the collectors, but most versions of the story that are out there are still missing this essential element. In most versions of the story, people do not see that the attitude of Eiseley's character is actually changed after seeing the example of the star thrower.

Return to "The Pilfered Parable" homepage.