Two Years Before the Mast · Chapter
XXXIII explained
The chapter describes the ship's progress homeward, including a dispute between the captain and mate over authority, a fight between the mate and the steward, the decision to sail inside the Falkland Islands, the enthusiastic setting of add
What happens
The chapter describes the ship's progress homeward, including a dispute between the captain and mate over authority, a fight between the mate and the steward, the decision to sail inside the Falkland Islands, the enthusiastic setting of additional sails, and the preparations for entering port. It also includes a reflective moment on the beauty of the ship under full sail in the tropics.
Themes in this chapter
Authority and Discipline
The chapter highlights the strict hierarchy on board, the captain's absolute power, and the mate's challenge to that authority, as well as the punishment of the steward.
Labor and Economy
The crew's work in preparing the ship for port—sending down sails, setting up rigging, painting—reflects the constant labor required to maintain a merchant vessel.
Transformation and Identity
The ship's transformation from a storm-tossed vessel to a well-ordered ship ready for port mirrors the narrator's own journey and changing perspective.
Characters to notice
- Richard Henry Dana Jr.
The narrator observes the conflict between captain and mate, participates in sail setting, and later admires the ship from the flying jibboom.
- Captain Thompson
The captain asserts his authority over the mate, orders additional sail set, and later punishes the steward with a rope's end.
- Mr. Brown
The mate argues with the captain over command boundaries, fights with the steward, and enthusiastically carries out the captain's orders to set more sail.
- Steward
The steward refuses to get water for the mate, leading to a physical fight; he is later punished by the captain.
Key passages
“I’m master of this ship. Yes, sir, and I’m mate of her, and know my place! My place is forward, and yours is aft!”
The captain asserts his absolute authority, while the mate insists on the traditional division of roles on a merchant vessel.
This exchange illustrates the tension between formal authority and customary practice at sea.
“Hurrah, old bucket! the Boston girls have got hold of the towrope!”
The mate cheers the ship on, personifying it as being pulled home by the women of Boston.
Shows the crew's eagerness to return home and the mate's colorful, enthusiastic character.
“How quietly they do their work!”
A sailor remarks on the silent, effortless appearance of the sails under a steady breeze.
Reflects the beauty and efficiency of a well-set ship, even from a hardened seaman's perspective.