the sea to sell a horse Despite bad weather Bartley knows he must go Otherwise his family will starve Bartley says no boats will go in two weeks or more This is the one boat going for two weeks or beyond it This line gives us a clear idea of how important the sea is for the family s livelihood A Destructive Force While the sea provides life it also brings death At the beginning of the play Maurya s husband father-in-law and four sons have already died in the sea Her fifth son Michael is also missing for nine days The play shows how no prayer or caution can prevent the sea from claiming lives When Bartley leaves for the sea in bad weather Maurya knows Bartley s fate is sealed She says He's gone now God spare us and we'll not see him again Her words show her helplessness in the face of the sea s power Maurya knows she is powerless to stop it The sea erases not only life but also identity When Michael s body is lost to the sea the family receives only scraps of his clothing It becomes difficult to confirm his death Nora laments Isn t it a pitiful thing when there is nothing left of a man but a bit of an old shirt and a plain stocking A Symbol of Fate The sea in Riders to the Sea represents fate It is an unstoppable force that controls the lives of the islanders It is the fate of the islanders to go to sea for their livelihood and lose their lives When Bartley is drowned and his body is brought back home Maurya submits to her fate She says They re all gone now and there isn t anything more the sea can do to me This line captures her tragic acceptance of the sea s dominance over her life More Powerful than God Synge portrays the sea as a fiercest antagonist more powerful than God The sea is unforgiving It does not show mercy The local priest assures that God will not take away Maurya s last living son Bartley Nora recalls the priest s words The Almighty God won t leave her destitute with no son living However this assurance feels hollow when Bartley dies The sea s power is portrayed as greater than God s protection Synge uses the power of the sea to emphasize the difficult lifestyle of the islanders Presence in Daily Life Even in small ways the sea affects the family s everyday life The saltwater damages their belongings like the string tying the bundle of Michael s clothes Bartley must wear Michael s shirt because his own is heavy with the salt in it These details show how the sea is present even in the household The sea is ever-present to remind its power In conclusion the sea in Riders to the Sea is a complex force that gives and takes The sea symbolizes fate an uncontrollable power that shapes the lives of the characters The sea is a silent but dominant force