The events of The Voyage of the Frog are set into motion due to a tragic circumstance when David Alspeth loses his Uncle Owen to cancer. From the very first chapter, David must grapple with his feelings of grief and regret, and he approaches these issues candidly. For example, he frequently weeps at the memory of his uncle and the sight of him on his deathbed, and when David boards the Frog for the first time after Owen gifted it to him, he is overwhelmed by the sights and smells that evoke his uncle. Overcome, he lets his sorrow wash over him and cries, “letting [his grief] roll out of him in uncontrollable heaves” (8). Rather than avoiding his feelings of anguish, David allows himself to experience his emotions completely. This instinctive willingness to embrace the intensity of his own emotions proves to be a double-edged sword during his ordeal at sea, for even as he feels deep awe and reverence for the ocean and the creatures who inhabit it, he must also contend with overwhelming waves of anger, fear, and despair that threaten to shatter his focus on his survival.