Short Fiction · Chapter
Way of a Rebel explained
Mitch Laskell deserts the Navy, fleeing in a stolen submarine after a crisis of conscience about the destructive nature of the war.
What happens
Mitch Laskell deserts the Navy, fleeing in a stolen submarine after a crisis of conscience about the destructive nature of the war. He grapples with his love for technological civilization and his rejection of a conflict that threatens to annihilate industry and humanity's tools. Despite orders and threats from his commanders, he resolves to escape to a remote part of the world, rationalizing his rebellion as a declaration of independence.
Themes in this chapter
War and Destruction
Mitch's desertion is driven by his horror at a war that threatens to destroy industry and civilization itself, not just human lives.
Technology and Regression
Mitch struggles with his dependence on technology, realizing that abandoning civilization for a primitive life would be like 'cutting off his arm.'
Identity and Belonging
Mitch questions his place in society and his identity as a sailor and a member of the Navy, ultimately choosing to become an outcast.
Characters to notice
- Mitch Laskell
Protagonist who deserts the Navy, steals a submarine, and reflects on his motives and the nature of war.
- Captain Barkley
Mitch's commanding officer who issues warnings and orders over the radio, trying to recall him.
Key passages
“Living in society, a man must submit to its will, but now I am divorced from it, and I shall live apart from it if I live at all, and I shall owe it nothing.”
Mitch declares his independence from society, vowing to live outside its rules and owe it no allegiance.
This encapsulates Mitch's rebellious decision to desert and become a fugitive.
“A war that killed human beings might be tolerable, if it left most of civilizations’ industry intact... But a war that wrecked industry... that kind of war was insufferable.”
Mitch distinguishes between wars that only kill people and those that destroy civilization's technological base, finding the latter unbearable.
This reveals Mitch's core motivation: he values the tools and industry of civilization more than the political conflict.
“It takes a lot of courage to be a coward, but the word coward made him wince.”
Mitch reflects that desertion requires its own kind of bravery, even as he struggles with the label of coward.
This highlights Mitch's internal conflict and his attempt to reframe his desertion as a principled act.