The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket · Chapter
Chapter I explained
Arthur Gordon Pym recounts his early friendship with Augustus Barnard and their reckless nighttime voyage on the Ariel.
What happens
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.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Unreliable Narration
Pym and Augustus deliberately conceal the true nature of the accident from their families, highlighting the theme of deception.
Survival and Moral Decay
The struggle for survival in the face of mortal danger, as Pym and Augustus cling to life after the wreck.
Characters to notice
- Arthur Gordon Pym
Narrator and protagonist; nearly drowns after the Ariel is run down by the Penguin.
- Augustus Barnard
Pym's friend; becomes dangerously drunk during the voyage and is rescued after being found clinging to wreckage.
- Henderson
Mr. Henderson; leads the rescue from the Penguin, discovering Augustus attached to the floating deck.
- Ariel
The small boat that Pym and Augustus sail; it is destroyed in the collision with the Penguin.
- Penguin
The whaling ship that collides with the Ariel; its crew rescues Pym and Augustus.
Key passages
“Schoolboys, however, can accomplish wonders in the way of deception, and I verily believe not one of our friends in Nantucket had the slightest suspicion that the terrible story told by some sailors in town of their having run down a vessel at sea and drowned some thirty or forty poor devils, had reference either to the Ariel , my companion, or myself.”
Pym reflects on how easily he and Augustus deceived their friends and family about their involvement in the shipwreck.
Illustrates the theme of deception and the unreliable nature of Pym's narrative.
“It is hardly possible to conceive the extremity of my terror. The fumes of the wine lately taken had evaporated, leaving me doubly timid and irresolute.”
Pym describes his overwhelming fear and helplessness after realizing Augustus is incapacitated and he is alone in the storm.
Highlights the theme of survival and the psychological impact of the crisis.