Master and Commander
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In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Empire, government bureaucracy greatly expanded its powers and nationalism became the guiding political and social foundation of the Western world. In Patrick OÆBrianÆs (1990) Master and Commander, we are treated to the adventures of an English Royal Navy officer, ôLuckyö Jack Aubrey and his good friend, the shipÆs doctor, Stephen Maturin. The book is short on plot, basically consisting of the tale of friendship between these two men as they cruise around the French/Spanish coast looking for ôprizes,ö i.e. Spanish and French ships bigger than AubreyÆs old, slow H.M.S. Sophie. In sharing these adventures, OÆBrien provides us with a history of the dawning 19th century, a time of violence, brutality and death from disease and natural disasters to human indifference to the suffering of others. Likewise, the rigid hierarchy and command and control nature of the shipÆs crew expose the qualities of honor and corruption prevalent in society and government of the era. In fact, this bureaucracy is very similar to the one described by Melville in his novel of ship society, Billy Budd. However, even though this era appears to be before the dawn of humanitarianism, it is the deep friendship forged by Aubrey and Maturin that remain the connecting thread that weaves the adventures of these two men together in Master and Commander. OÆBrianÆs characterization of Commander Jack Aubrey and His MajestyÆs Sloop ôS
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ÆBrian. From ôfloggingsö to ôprizesö the hierarchical nature of command and life aboard ship with its stern rules of conduct is provided relief by the friendship that develops between Aubrey and Maturin (OÆBrian, 1990). English to the core, AubreyÆs ship is one that severely penalizes failure and greatly rewards success. While the battles they engage in are not overly exciting, they do show that the English Royal Navy, despite its flaws, was the biggest and best organized bureaucracy of the era.
The friendship between Aubrey and Maturin is also significant for another reason in OÆBrianÆs Master and Commander. Life at sea and on shore was often harsh in 1800. From disease and weather to the indifference of humans to human suffering, threats to life were ongoing and frequent. Adding to this was a mentality of casual violence and brutality, with much of the Western world engaged in domestic or international conflict during the Napoleonic era. In addition to these elements of environment and daily life, life at sea was primarily only a male life in this era. There are no women aboard the ship and when there are they seem to offer some threat or be a malignant force. As such, we are primarily treated to the male life of 1800
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Approximate Word count = 1223
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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