Typee · Chapter
XVI explained
The narrator fully realizes his captivity among the Typees, sinking into despair after a false alarm of approaching boats reveals the natives' determination to keep him prisoner.
What happens
The narrator fully realizes his captivity among the Typees, sinking into despair after a false alarm of approaching boats reveals the natives' determination to keep him prisoner. He describes his adoption of Typee attire, his mysterious leg ailment, and anecdotes of his attempts to be useful—mending Marheyo's calico and shaving Narmonee's head with his razor.
Themes in this chapter
Freedom and Captivity
The narrator's realization of his captivity and the natives' active prevention of his escape highlight the tension between his desire for liberty and his physical imprisonment.
Colonialism and Its Effects
The narrator's use of Western tools (razor, needle) and the natives' admiration for them illustrate the uneven power dynamics and cultural exchange inherent in colonial encounters.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
Overwhelmed by despair upon realizing he is a captive; suffers from a mysterious leg disease; adopts Typee costume and tries to make himself useful.
- Toby
Mentioned bitterly by the narrator, who curses Toby for abandoning him to destruction.
- Kory-Kory
Attempts to comfort the narrator with food, pipe, and antics; clings to his arm to restrain him from rushing to the beach.
- Mehevi
Assumes an authoritative tone, commands the narrator to sit down, and blocks his attempt to go to the beach, confirming his captivity.
- Marheyo
Brings a tattered strip of calico for the narrator to mend; later dons it proudly and leaves like a valiant Templar.
- Narmonee
Requests the narrator to shave his head with the razor; endures the painful process with fortitude.
Key passages
“truly experienced I was indeed a captive in the valley. The conviction rushed upon me with staggering force, and I was overwhelmed by this confirmation of my worst fears.”
I finally understood that I was truly a prisoner in the valley, and the shock of this realization crushed me.
The narrator's moment of clarity about his captivity.
“I now perceived the natives one after the other hurrying past the Ti and pursuing the route that conducted to the sea.”
I saw the natives rushing past the Ti toward the beach.
The natives' reaction to the rumor of approaching boats.
“I was almost a cripple, and the pain I endured at intervals was agonizing.”
I could barely walk, and the pain I felt from time to time was excruciating.
Description of the narrator's leg ailment.
“He writhed and wriggled under the infliction, but, fully convinced of my skill, endured the pain like a martyr.”
He squirmed in pain but, trusting my ability, bore it like a martyr.
Narmonee's reaction to the narrator's clumsy shaving.