Captains Courageous

A detailed Summary of Captains Courageous

Certain situations require specific character traits and personality types in order for success and survival. In many cases if these traits aren't present, the individual must change their mind-set in order to suit the situation. This is the case in the novel Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling. Harvey Cheyne was forced to change his mind-set and frame of reference from that of a spoiled child to a honest hard working man, as the journey which lay before him catered not to a gentle hand but to a callused one. Factors that affected his change of outlook were the other fisherman onboard, the setting, and the workload of which Harvey was handed.

The characters in the story brought about a great change in the development of Harvey Cheyne's character. The fisherman on the We're Here wouldn't allow Harvey a free ride. They treated Harvey like a fisherman, and favoured him no more than anyone else on the vessel. They forced Harvey out of his spoiled mentality and made him work for his supper and bed, a new concept for Harvey Cheyne. Harvey was assigned all of the same chores as Dan, the skippers son, and it was expected of Harvey to do the work without hesitation and of equal quality as Dan. "'It'S ten an' a ha'af a month, ez I

In order to gain passage on the We're Here Harvey had to adjust to the workload that was assigned to him. Harvey Cheyne had not worked a day in his life. He would have to accept and adjust to the new concept of work. "Harvey smiled at the thought of his ten and a half dollars a month, and wondered what his mother would say if she could see him hanging over the edge of a fishing dory in mid-ocean." (p.28). Harvey would have to gain a new outlook on his tasks. The physical workload and long hours were new to Harvey. Work was a new experience that he would have to accept in order to gain his right for passage on the We're Here. "At the end of an hour Harvey would have given the world to rest; for fresh, wet cod weigh more than you would think, and his back ached with the steady pitching. But he felt for the first time in his life that he was one of a working gang of men, took pride in the thought, and held on sullenly." (p.22). Harvey was not used to the daily chores that he was expected to perform. Swabbing the deck, washing the dories, and keeping watch were all new experiences for Harvey. Adjusting to the workload was essential for Harvey to gain acceptance with the fisherman. Fishing itself also became a challenge for Harvey. The physical process of rowing a dory and the skill of fishing were challenges for Harvey at first, but in time he adjusted well. "Harvey's knuckles were raw and bleeding where they had been banged against the gunwale; his face was purple-blue between excitement and exertion; he dripped with sweat, and was half-blinded from staring at the circling sunlit ripples abou

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Approximate Word count = 1080
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels