The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe.
Chapter 1
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
Arthur Gordon Pym recounts his early life and adventures, beginning with a near-fatal night voyage on the Ariel with his friend Augustus Barnard, followed by his secret stowaway on the Grampus, the brutal mutiny aboard the ship, and his eventual rescue by the Jane Guy. The narrative details survival at sea, including cannibalism, and culminates in a mysterious journey to the Antarctic where Pym encounters strange phenomena and a shrouded human figure.
Chapter 2
Chapter I
Arthur Gordon Pym recounts his early friendship with Augustus Barnard and their reckless nighttime voyage on the Ariel. Augustus, heavily intoxicated, loses control of the boat during a storm, leading to a collision with the whaling ship Penguin. Pym and Augustus are rescued after a harrowing ordeal, and they later conceal the true nature of the accident from their families.
Chapter 3
II
Pym's passion for the sea is rekindled after the Ariel disaster, and he conspires with Augustus to stow away on the Grampus. He endures a harrowing confinement in the hold, suffering from thirst, illness, and terrifying dreams, before attempting to escape.
Chapter 4
III
Pym, trapped in the hold of the Grampus, discovers a note from Augustus but struggles to read it due to lack of light. After a failed attempt with phosphorus, he finds the note torn and, with Tiger's help, retrieves the pieces. He finally reads a fragmentary warning: 'blood—your life depends upon lying close.' Despairing and suffering from thirst, fever, and the dog's strange behavior, Pym abandons plans to escape or call for help.
Chapter 5
IV
Augustus recounts the events following his last visit to Pym in the hold. He was unable to return for several days due to the bustle on board. When he finally descended, he found Pym in a deep, prolonged sleep caused by the fumes of old fish-oil. Before he could wake him, a mutiny erupted on deck. Augustus witnessed the first mate and seven crew members, including the cook, attack and bind Captain Barnard. The mutineers then systematically executed twenty-two loyal crew members by axing them and throwing them overboard. The remaining four prisoners and Augustus were spared due to a drunken dispute among the mutineers, during which the half-Indian Dirk Peters opposed the cook's bloodlust. The captives were set adrift in a small boat without provisions or navigation. Augustus was later discovered trying to reach Pym and was put in irons, but his attempt ultimately led to Pym's eventual rescue.
Chapter 6
V
Augustus, imprisoned in the forecastle after the mutiny, devises a plan to reach Pym in the hold. He removes his handcuffs, cuts through a bulkhead, and navigates the dark, stifling orlop deck. After initial despair and a failed attempt, he hears the crash of a bottle thrown by Pym, which renews his resolve. He finally reaches Pym's box, exhausted but successful.
Chapter 7
VI
Pym remains hidden in the hold of the Grampus, sustained by Augustus. Tiger recovers from his strange illness. The mate releases Augustus on parole, and Pym learns of the mutineers' plans through Dirk Peters, who shows unexpected kindness. A journal records the next eight days, including the loss of two men overboard and the shifting allegiances among the crew. Pym and Augustus consider enlisting Peters to help them retake the brig.
Chapter 8
VII
Pym, Augustus, and Dirk Peters plan a desperate counter-mutiny aboard the Grampus. They kill the watchman Allen, disguise Pym as the corpse of Hartman Rogers, and prepare to seize control of the vessel during a violent gale.
Chapter 9
VIII
Pym, Augustus, and Dirk Peters execute a daring plan to retake the Grampus from the mutineers. Pym disguises himself as the corpse of Hartman Rogers and descends into the cabin, terrifying the mutineers. In the ensuing struggle, Peters and Pym kill most of the mutineers, with Tiger saving Augustus. Only Richard Parker is spared. After securing the brig, they struggle to keep her afloat in a violent gale, cutting away masts and battling leaks.
Chapter 10
IX
The survivors endure a harrowing night lashed to the wreck of the Grampus as a hurricane rages. They struggle against exhaustion, injury, and the constant threat of being washed overboard. At dawn, the storm abates, and Pym manages to free himself and cut the ropes binding his companions. They attempt to retrieve supplies from the submerged cabin, but are thwarted by a locked door. After praying for divine aid, they resolve to continue their efforts.
Chapter 11
X
Pym and his companions spot a brig approaching, which initially fills them with ecstatic hope of rescue. However, as the vessel draws near, they are overwhelmed by a putrid stench and discover the decks are littered with decaying corpses. A seagull perched on one of the bodies reveals the horrifying truth: the crew is dead, and the apparent smiles were the result of decomposition. The brig passes them by, leaving the men in despair.
Chapter 12
Chapter XI
The survivors, ravaged by starvation and thirst, struggle to find food and water aboard the drifting hulk. After failed attempts to retrieve supplies from the cabin, they discover a bottle of port wine, which provides temporary relief but also induces delirium. Pym continues to dive for provisions, finding only a leather trunk containing razors and shirts. His companions, in their desperation, drink the remaining wine behind his back, leading to intoxication and further deterioration.
Chapter 13
Chapter XII
Pym and his companions, driven by starvation, draw lots to determine who will be killed and eaten. Parker draws the short straw and is stabbed by Peters. They survive on his remains for four days. Pym then recalls an axe stored in the forecastle, which they use to cut through the deck to the storeroom, retrieving olives, ham, wine, and a Galápago tortoise.
Chapter 14
XIII
Pym and Peters endure extreme thirst, starvation, and shark attacks after the brig capsizes, losing their provisions and water supply. They survive on barnacles and wine, but Augustus dies from his injuries and is thrown overboard, attracting more sharks. The chapter details their desperate struggle for survival, including failed attempts to catch rain and the constant threat of the sharks.
Chapter 15
XIV
The chapter recounts the voyage of the Jane Guy after the rescue, detailing the ship's passage through the Southern Indian Ocean, encounters with storms, and arrival at Kerguelen's Land (Desolation Island). Pym describes the island's barren landscape, the hunting of seals and sea elephants, and the remarkable rookeries of penguins and albatrosses, whose organized nesting habits evoke astonishment. Captain Guy and his nephew explore the interior, leaving a sealed letter on a peak, while Pym and Peters join the mate's boat in a three-week seal hunt with limited success.
Chapter 16
XV
The Jane Guy departs from Christmas Harbour, passes Marion's Island and Prince Edward's Island, and arrives at Tristan d'Acunha. The chapter provides a detailed geographical and historical account of the Tristan d'Acunha group, including its discovery, early visitors, and the settlement by Glass. After a week of provisioning, Captain Guy sets sail to search for the disputed Aurora Islands, conducting a thorough but fruitless three-week survey of the area.
Chapter 17
XVI
Captain Guy abandons his original plan to explore the Auroras and the Strait of Magellan after receiving information at Tristan d'Acunha, instead steering southward in search of reported islands near the 60th parallel. When no islands are found, the crew resolves to push toward the pole. Pym provides a detailed historical account of previous Antarctic expeditions—including those of Captain Cook, Kreutzenstern, Weddell, Morrell, and Briscoe—highlighting the limits of polar exploration and the unresolved question of a southern continent. The chapter ends with Pym expressing intense interest in Captain Guy's bold decision to continue southward.
Chapter 18
XVII
The narrative continues the journey southward, detailing the crew's encounters with ice, wildlife, and a giant polar bear. Pym pressures Captain Guy to continue despite concerns over fuel and scurvy, leading to the discovery of Bennet's Islet and further Antarctic exploration.
Chapter 19
XVIII
The Jane Guy continues southward, encountering strange phenomena including a constant current toward the pole, unusual wildlife, and a group of islands inhabited by black-skinned natives. Pym and the crew interact with the chief Too-wit and his men, who display both friendliness and superstitious awe toward the ship and its contents. Captain Guy is persuaded by Pym to limit their stay and push further south.
Chapter 20
XIX
Pym and the crew of the Jane Guy, led by Too-wit, journey inland to the village of Klock-klock, observing the primitive dwellings, domesticated animals, and abundant fish. They are hosted in Too-wit's hut, where a tense gathering of natives surrounds them. Captain Guy presents gifts, and Too-wit offers to show them bêche-de-mer beds. They visit the reefs, confirming the resource's abundance, and return to the schooner, noting the systematic reinforcement of the native party along the route.
Chapter 21
Chapter XX
The crew of the Jane Guy, trusting the apparent friendship of the Tsalal islanders, establish a market and negotiate with Too-wit for the collection of bêche-de-mer. During a visit to the village, they enter a narrow gorge where an ambush is set; a fissure in the rock draws Pym, Peters, and Allen, and a sudden concussion suggests a catastrophic event.
Chapter 22
XXI
Pym and Peters escape being buried alive after a cave-in, discover the body of their companion Allen, and climb to safety. From a vantage point, they realize the entire gorge has been deliberately collapsed by the natives using stakes and vines, killing their thirty-two companions. They conclude they are the only white survivors on the island.
Chapter 23
XXII
Pym and Peters witness the destruction of the Jane Guy by the Tsalal natives, who swarm the harbor with rafts and canoes. The crew's cannon fire fails, and the natives overwhelm the vessel. After an explosion destroys the ship and kills many natives, the survivors react with horror and chant 'Tekeli-li'. Pym and Peters secure a dead animal for food and hide in a ravine, observing the aftermath.
Chapter 24
XXIII
Pym and Peters, stranded on the hilltop, exhaust their food supply and attempt to find a way down, but are blocked by chasms and precipices. They explore a series of black granite chasms, discovering strange indentations in marl that resemble figures and letters, which Peters mistakes for writing but Pym proves are natural formations. They find no escape and return to the summit, dejected.
Chapter 25
XXIV
Pym and Peters, starving and desperate, attempt a harrowing descent down a soapstone cliff using improvised pegs and handkerchief ropes. Pym nearly falls due to a vertiginous longing for the abyss, but Peters saves him. After reaching the bottom, they are ambushed by five savages; Peters is clubbed, and Pym fires pistols, killing two.
Chapter 26
XXV
Pym, Peters, and Nu-Nu drift southward in a frail canoe after escaping Tsalal, encountering increasingly strange phenomena—warm seas, milky water, ashy precipitation, and a vast white curtain in the southern sky. Nu-Nu dies of terror, and the narrative ends with the boat rushing into a chasm before a gigantic shrouded white figure.
Chapter 27
Endnotes
The endnotes provide supplementary details on whaling vessels, a parallel account of the brig Polly's survival ordeal, historical sightings of the Auroras, clarifications on narrative chronology and geography, and observations on the black marl of Tsalal.
Chapter 28
List of Illustrations
A catalog of illustrations including maps of cave networks, a knot-shaped figure, scattered shards, and triangular caverns.
