TMC Ch 6: Fleetmates and army gents.

[tootsiemuppet]

So basically anyone who isn't Jack or Stephen.

"Now, gentlemen," said the Commodore, when they were all assembled, "when can your ships proceed to sea?" 
If it were not for Pym's vile newfangled iron tanks, the Sirius could be ready in a couple of days: if it had not been for the yard's incomprehensible delay over the long-promised iron horse, the

Comments

The value of human life

[findabair]

Jack: It seems to me that men are of different value, and that if some are knocked on the head, the world is not much the poorer.

Seems this is yet another point at which Jack is well matched with Keating, with his ideas that officers are much too exalted to be shot at and his regret that he was done out of his battle just because the politicoes wanted to prevent the spilling of (presumably non-officer) blood.

I'm no historian, but might this be seen as part of a general nineteenth-century military officer point-of-view?

Re: The value of human life

[tootsiemuppet]

I read a book about the Battle of Trafalgar which made a point about the French picking out officers in a battle situation and the English shooting basically at anyone, that there was this sense that it wasn't honourable to pick out specific people if you were fighting a country.

I took that line you quoted of Jack's to reflect more upon a man's conduct and being than his status. I don't think he'd much rue Corbett being knocked on the head, but give Bonden a few lashes and watch him roar.

Re: The value of human life

[findabair]

Yeah, you're right - there is of course a fundamental difference between Jack and Keating here.

And of course as you imply, the officers' conduct should presumbably be seen not in isolation but in light of society in general at the time. And it's not like ideas of equality were very prominent in Britain at the time..!

Re: The value of human life

[esteven]

And it's not like ideas of equality were very prominent in Britain at the time..!
Even today we are still struggling, often only paying lip service to equality, when we are actually far from it.

Bolton and Mr Seymour

[esteven]

Bolton had refused Mr Seymour's help, on the grounds that as the Commodore had pulled him out of the sea when they were shipmates in the Polychrest, it obviously fell to him to do the same throughout the length of Bolton's natural life.

I adore it how just one simple (for Jack)action puts a responsibility on him, and how everybody included sees Bolton's logic.

Re: Bolton and Mr Seymour

[tootsiemuppet]

Including Jack himself. :D

Re: Bolton and Mr Seymour

[esteven]

Indeed. With anyone else I would have expected them to protest. After all, why should he take the responsibility for somebody else's life, just because he rescued him once.

Bolton sounds like an early Davis.

Re: Bolton and Mr Seymour

[tootsiemuppet]

He does. :D

oh, for Clonfert again

[esteven]

"Sure it will break his heart if he is not the first that is ready for sea," said McAdam. "He has set his soul on outdoing the Commodore."
I feel sorry that all his life, Clonfert struggles and struggles to outdo Aubrey, not realizing that it will never be possible to outdo others, lest the efforts kill.

Re: oh, for Clonfert again

[tootsiemuppet]

I wonder how he took Jack's order to stay close to him. Did he realise Jack's intention behind it to keep him from "dashing"? (oh btw, Aubrey, you hypocrite)

Re: oh, for Clonfert again

[esteven]

I am not certain. My opinion is that Clonfert might have seen it as a punishment for lighting up the three millions of silk. He may also have resented Jack's orders as keeping him from earning more merits.

Re: oh, for Clonfert again

[findabair]

I sure gets easier and easier to feel sorry for him as the book progresses. Pathetic fellow. Sometimes I get the impression he's like the classic case of someone with low self-esteem doing everything he can to be like someone else because he can't value himself.

[ozfille]

I see Pullings is just as excited to be a Captain (by sea), if not by land and he wants Stephen to be the first of his friends to call him Captain just as he was to call him Lieutenant.

[esteven]

I loved how dear Tom reacted like any captain would: he admired Groper's lines. :D Took it very kindly of Stephen that he did not mention the herrinbuss.

Indeed, Tom was so proud to finally be a captain by curtesy. But he does not hesitate to run his ship aground, so that the commodore's strategy can be successful.

[ozfille]

I think Tom believed that Stephen would dote on the Groper as much as he does and would never consider in the slightest that it looked like a herringbuss. *g*

But then Tom has always been the enthusiast. *g*

[esteven]

Indeed, Tom is always the enthusiast! I so love him and his zeal with which he follows his commission.

[ozfille]

Poor Keating, deprived of his battle, all hope of climbing up the slippery slope of promotion baulked by a damned truce, no chance of gaining the honour of leading a decisive battle. How he must of hated Stephen at that moment! *g*

Though battling over the mountains to Saint Denis would not have been easy -

[sidlj]

Very lovely ... unless you are attempting to invade!

[ozfille]

If you had to climb over those mountains to get to St Denis from St Paul, fighting all the way it would be very tough. Reunion is incredibly mountainous.