# X explained — The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

> Chapter companion for The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Survival and Moral Decay

The men's desperate hope for rescue turns to horror, and Pym briefly contemplates consuming the fallen flesh, highlighting the erosion of moral boundaries in extreme circumstances.

### Deception and Unreliable Narration

The apparent smiles and gestures of the dead crew deceive Pym and his companions into believing they are alive, underscoring the theme of deceptive appearances.

### The Unknown and Cosmic Horror

The inexplicable stench, the inexplicable fate of the crew, and the unfathomable mystery surrounding the brig evoke a sense of cosmic horror beyond human understanding.

## Character check-ins

### Arthur Gordon Pym

Narrator; experiences intense joy then horror upon discovering the ghost brig.

### Augustus Barnard

Lies on deck with Pym; turns pale and quivers upon seeing the brig.

### Dirk Peters

Dances about the deck madly when the brig is first sighted.

### Richard Parker

Weeps like a child upon seeing the vessel; later the grisly morsel falls at his feet.

## Key lines

> I sprung to my feet as if a musket bullet had suddenly struck me to the heart; and, stretching out my arms in the direction of the vessel, stood in this manner, motionless, and unable to articulate a syllable.

Pym leaped up as if shot, arms outstretched toward the ship, frozen and speechless.

_Captures the sudden, overwhelming joy of seeing a potential rescue vessel._

> Of a sudden, and all at once, there came wafted over the ocean from the strange vessel (which was now close upon us) a smell, a stench, such as the whole world has no name for—no conception of—hellish—utterly suffocating—insufferable, inconceivable.

Suddenly, an indescribably foul stench from the approaching ship overwhelmed them, suffocating and hellish.

_Highlights the abrupt shift from hope to horror as the true nature of the brig is revealed._

> Shall I ever forget the triple horror of that spectacle? Twenty-five or thirty human bodies, among whom were several females, lay scattered about between the counter and the galley in the last and most loathsome state of putrefaction.

Pym recalls the horrific sight of twenty-five to thirty decaying corpses, including women, strewn across the deck.

_Describes the gruesome discovery that dashes all hopes of rescue._

## Links

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