Summary
First published: 1827
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Historical romance
Time of work: Mid-eighteenth century
Locale: Newport, Rhode Island, and the Atlantic Ocean
Principal Characters
Harry Wilder, who previously went by the name Henry Ark, but is truly Henry de Lacy
The Red Rover, the enigmatic captain of the Dolphin
Dick Fid and Scipio Africa, seafaring companions and friends of Harry Wilder
Gertrude Grayson, the daughter of General Grayson
Mrs. Wyllys, her governess
The Story
In Newport, Rhode Island, Harry Wilder's attention was captured by a ship known as the Dolphin, anchored in the outer harbor. Eager to secure a position for himself and his friends Dick Fid and Scipio Africa, Harry's resolve intensified after a mysterious stranger challenged him to do so. That night, he and his friends rowed out to the Dolphin to investigate further. Upon being hailed by the watch, Wilder boarded the ship and discovered that his arrival was anticipated. The captain, none other than the stranger from town, revealed himself as the notorious Red Rover, a feared pirate. Despite his past as a British naval officer, Wilder accepted a position as second in command and managed to get his friends Dick and Scipio aboard as well, before returning to Newport to settle his affairs, leaving his companions on the Dolphin.
Meanwhile, the Royal Caroline, a merchant vessel bound for Charleston, South Carolina, lay ready in the inner harbor. Onboard, Gertrude Grayson and her governess Mrs. Wyllys prepared for their journey. Wilder, having encountered the women earlier, attempted to dissuade them from traveling on the Royal Caroline, hinting at potential dangers. His warnings were dismissed by an old sailor who vouched for the ship's safety. However, fate intervened when the ship's captain suffered an accident, prompting the need for a replacement. Under orders from the Red Rover, Wilder applied for and secured the position.
The Royal Caroline's voyage was fraught with difficulties from the start. Soon after departing, another ship appeared on the horizon, maintaining a steady distance and arousing suspicion. In an attempt to escape, Wilder commanded all sails to be set, despite worsening weather. A ferocious storm overwhelmed the ship, leaving it at the mercy of the waves. With the crew abandoning ship, only Wilder and the two women remained. Determined to reach safety, they took to a longboat, only to be carried further from land by the winds, until they were rescued by the Dolphin.
Aboard the Dolphin, the truth soon dawned on Gertrude and Mrs. Wyllys about their captors' nefarious identities, despite receiving kind treatment. Mrs. Wyllys's discovery that the cabin boy, Roderick, was actually a woman was overshadowed by the unfolding mystery of Harry Wilder's true identity. Dick Fid recounted Wilder's history to the women and the Red Rover, unveiling the bond shared among Wilder, Dick, and Scipio. Twenty-four years prior, Dick and Scipio had discovered a child and a dying woman on an abandoned vessel. The woman passed, leaving the sailors to care for the child, identified only by a ship's bucket labeled "Ark of Lynnhaven," a name unknown in any registry, leading to a futile search for relatives.
As Dick concluded his tale, the British naval ship Dart appeared on the horizon. Once a vessel on which Wilder and his friends had served, its presence was alarming. Wilder urged the Red Rover to flee, but the pirate had a different strategy involving deception. By flying British colors, the Dolphin was invited aboard the Dart by Captain Bignall. There, it was revealed that Henry Ark, alias Harry Wilder, was believed to be on...
(This entire section contains 1233 words.)
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a risky mission. Realizing his blunder, the Red Rover returned to the Dolphin, subsequently sending Wilder, his friends, and the women to the Dart for safety.
Upon reaching the Dart, Wilder was compelled to reveal the Dolphin's true nature to Captain Bignall, pleading for leniency for its crew. Bignall consented, sending Wilder back to negotiate terms of surrender, which the Red Rover declined, dictating that any conflict should be initiated by the British. As the Dart attacked, an unexpected storm allowed the Dolphin's crew to board the Dart, resulting in Bignall's death and the ship's capture. The crew demanded retribution against Wilder, Dick, and Scipio for betrayal, but the Red Rover delayed judgment. It was then that the chaplain aboard noticed the tattoo on Dick's arm, revealing Wilder's lineage as the son of Paul de Lacy and Mrs. Wyllys. Now aware of her son's true identity, Mrs. Wyllys begged for his life. The Red Rover deferred his crew's demands, promising a decision by morning.
The following day, the Red Rover transferred his crew and treasure ashore, leaving the Dart's crew and the captives to sail away. Observing from a distance, they watched the Dolphin engulfed in flames, speculating over a possible escape by its captain and Roderick. Decades later, after the American Revolution, the Red Rover resurfaced in Newport, visiting Captain Henry de Lacy, formerly known as Harry Wilder. Revealing himself as Mrs. Wyllys's long-lost brother, the Red Rover, both pirate and patriot, passed away shortly thereafter.
Critical Evaluation
Although The Red Rover never achieved the acclaim of James Fenimore Cooper's other maritime novels like The Pilot or The Two Admirals, it stands robustly as a thrilling narrative filled with intrigue and adventure. Its early chapters may evoke Melville's masterpiece Moby Dick, with Harry Wilder's mysterious pull to a ship mirroring Ishmael's experience. However, where Melville's work explores profound existential themes, The Red Rover is content as a melodramatic romance, lacking such philosophical depth.
Beyond its surface as a sea adventure, the novel offers insights into Cooper's ambivalence on societal and philosophical ideas. D. H. Lawrence, in Studies in Classic American Literature, contends that Cooper's sea tales expose his conflicted views about democracy's superiority. This inner conflict manifests in The Red Rover, where Cooper is both repulsed by and drawn to the brutality of the titular character, similarly conflicted about Wilder, who embodies both chivalry and ruggedness.
Cooper reconciles these opposing forces through the Revolutionary War. The Red Rover, initially a romantic rebel, transforms into a patriotic figure, and Wilder evolves from seaman to Captain Henry De Lacy, gentleman. Thus, Cooper resolves the novel's inherent tension, framing both characters as embodiments of American valor and the quest for freedom.
Bibliography
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