The Survivors of the Chancellor · Chapter
XLVII explained
After stealing a small bit of food from Hobart's secret store, the narrator is consumed with guilt for not sharing with his fellow sufferers.
What happens
After stealing a small bit of food from Hobart's secret store, the narrator is consumed with guilt for not sharing with his fellow sufferers. At dawn, Hobart is found hanging from the mast, having committed suicide. The sailors and several passengers, including Falsten, Dowlas, and the boatswain, resort to cannibalism, while the narrator, Miss Herbey, André, and his father refuse to partake. The narrator struggles with revulsion and a creeping envy of those who eat.
Themes in this chapter
Survival and Sacrifice
The characters face the ultimate test of survival as some resort to cannibalism, while others refuse, highlighting the tension between self-preservation and moral integrity.
Human Nature and Morality
The narrator's guilt, the crew's transformation into 'ravenous brutes,' and the envy of the cannibals explore the erosion of moral boundaries under extreme duress.
Hope and Despair
Hobart's suicide and the subsequent cannibalism deepen the despair on the raft, yet the narrator's longing for day and the refusal of some to partake hint at a fragile remnant of hope.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Kazallon
Narrator; steals food from Hobart's secret store and feels deep remorse; refuses to partake in cannibalism.
- Hobart
The steward; commits suicide by hanging after his secret hoard is discovered; his body is consumed by the others.
- Miss Herbey
Refuses to eat the flesh of Hobart; withdraws to the tent with the narrator and the Letourneurs.
- André Letourneur
Filled with abhorrence at the cannibalism; wants to stop the others but is restrained; refuses to eat.
- M. Letourneur
Refuses to partake in the cannibalistic meal; stays with his son and the others in the tent.
- Dowlas
Carpenter; suggests salting the remaining flesh after evaporating seawater; participates in the cannibalism.
Key passages
“The bit of food that I had thus stolen was very small; but small as it was it had alleviated my hunger, and I was now tortured with remorse, because I had not shared the meagre morsel with my fellow-sufferers.”
The narrator feels guilty for eating a tiny stolen piece of food alone instead of sharing it with the others.
Highlights the narrator's moral conflict and selfishness in the face of starvation.
“I know nothing for certain as to what Curtis did, and I did not venture to inquire; but of the others—Falsten, Dowlas, the boatswain, and all the rest—I know that, to assuage their cravings, they consented to reduce themselves to the level of beasts of prey; they were transformed from human beings into ravenous brutes.”
The narrator is unsure if Curtis joined the cannibalism, but confirms that Falsten, Dowlas, the boatswain, and others ate Hobart's flesh.
Illustrates the dehumanizing effect of extreme hunger and the moral line crossed by most of the group.
“was it not coming to pass that the cannibals were rousing my envy instead of exciting my horror?”
The narrator begins to feel jealous of those who are eating, rather than horrified by their actions.
Shows the narrator's own moral struggle and the creeping temptation to abandon his principles.