Captains Courageous (1897) By Rudyard Kipling

 

Without really planning this, I have just read another “sea novel,” this time Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling written in 1897. A few weeks ago, I did a book blog on SeaWolf by Jack London written seven years later in 1904. Reading these two books basically back-to-back was accidentally informative; they have the same underlying plot: a young man from a wealthy background falls off ship and is rescued by a passing ship where instead of returning him to land, the ship’s captain “forces” him into servitude onboard.

In the plot summary, each of the young men must learn how to work on a masted sail merchant ship on the high seas; hunting seals in the North Pacific in Sea Wolf, or catching cod in the North Atlantic in Captains Courageous. The big difference between the two stories is the character of the ship’s captain. He’s an authoritarian monster in Sea Wolf, while in Captains Courageous, although by all means a stern sailor, he is kind of benevolent. Comparing the leadership qualities of the captains is quite a contrast.

In Captains Courageous the young man’s name is Harvey.  He is mentored in sailing first by a crew member named Manuel, and eventually by the Captain. He makes friends with the only other boy on board his age, who happens to be the Captain’s son. A spoiled brat when he is first rescued he develops into a hard-working sailor by the time they finish the cod catch season and head to port where he contacts his parents who have written him off as dead. They are stunned not only by his survival, but also by his new level of maturity.

The 1937 movie version had an all-star cast for its time. Lionel Barrymore plays the Captain, with Spencer Tracy as Manuel. The boys are played by two of the biggest child stars ever: Freddie Bartholomew as Harvey, and Mickey Rooney as the Captain’s son.

Recommendation:  Yes, book and movie.  Light reading.