…to make the sea and its life as vivid a reality for those who may read the book as it has become for me during the past decade.

Under the Sea-Wind was published by Simon & Schuster in 1941. It was Carson’s first book and her personal favorite. It received critical acclaim but sold poorly. After the great success of its sequel The Sea Around Us, it was re-published by Oxford University Press and became a bestseller in 1952 and is now recognised as a classic in American nature literature.

Under the Sea-Wind was in the works since 1937 when Carson’s essay Undersea, published by Atlantic Monthly, caught the attention of Simon & Schuster who suggested she expand it into a book. Undersea is a narrative about the creatures on the ocean floor. It was originally material for the radio brochures of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries based on her research on marine life at Chesapeake Bay. Though it is primarily a story, it is grounded in scientific detail of each creature’s appearance, diet and behavior.

The work illustrates Carson’s accurate and scientific eye towards things and served to educate the public in general. Because of the style with which it was written it is suitable for both children and adults. Besides educating the public about marine life, it also demonstrates her tenderness towards marine creatures, giving them human voice and personification. Though such behaviour is more often seen in children, it can be seen that Carson carried this attitude of sympathy and tenderness towards animals into adulthood. Her voice in the story encourages the public to care for animals out of anthropocentric values, that they feel the same feelings as we do.