The Maid of Sker · Chapter
Hunger Drives Him A-Fishing explained
In the summer of 1782, David Llewellyn, a widowed fisherman and former sailor, struggles with grief after losing his wife and son.
What happens
In the summer of 1782, David Llewellyn, a widowed fisherman and former sailor, struggles with grief after losing his wife and son. To feed his orphaned granddaughter Bunny, he forces himself to go fishing despite his sorrow, setting out for the conger-holes and lobster-ledges near Sker.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Orphanhood
Davy's grief over losing his wife and son, and his responsibility for his orphaned granddaughter Bunny, drive the chapter's emotional core.
Maritime Life and Adventure
Davy's past as a sailor and his current life as a fisherman are central, with detailed descriptions of fishing and naval battles.
Class Mobility and Ambition
Davy's fall from able-bodied seaman to a poor fisherman highlights themes of economic struggle and the need to work to survive.
Characters to notice
- Davy Llewellyn
Narrator and protagonist; a grieving widower and former sailor, now a fisherman, who must provide for his granddaughter.
- Bunny
Davy's orphaned granddaughter, aged about five, with a hearty appetite and dark eyes; she prompts Davy to go fishing.
- Mother Jones
Neighbor who agrees to look after Bunny while Davy goes fishing.
Key passages
“My dear wife (a faithful partner for eight-and-twenty years, in spite of a very quick temper) was lately gone to a better world; and I missed her tongue and her sharp lookout at almost every corner.”
Davy's wife, though quick-tempered, was a faithful companion for 28 years; her recent death leaves him feeling her absence keenly.
Davy reflects on his wife's death and her role in his life.
“Grand-da, I must have sumkin more to eat.”
Bunny tells Davy she needs more food, having already eaten a barley-loaf, two pig's feet, and a dogfish.
Bunny's hunger motivates Davy to go fishing.
“I, like a fool, was the first that leaped into her mizen-chains, without looking before me, as ought to have been.”
Davy recalls boarding the French ship Bellona recklessly, leading to his injury.
Davy's past naval service and injury are recounted.