How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Though I desired to make it clear that the crew and I were on different levels, I found myself spending more and more time in their company. In truth, I had endless questions to ask as to what this was and what was that. They in turn found in me a naive but eager recipient for their answers. (8.13)
Charlotte is always aware of the class barrier between her and the crew, but her natural curiosity causes her to break those boundaries little by little. Is Charlotte finally finding out how the other half live?
Quote #8
Gentlemen, do we not, as natural men, need to take heed? Is it not our duty, our obligation, to protect the natural order of the world? (18.159)
While he previously thought of them as scum, Captain Jaggery addresses the crew as gentlemen in the courtroom. He attempts to make the men feel that they are his equals so they will side with him in convicting Charlotte. How persuasive is the captain's rhetoric?
Quote #9
"Who shall be blamed for this disastrous voyage?" he asked. "It cannot be me, can it? No, it must be someone from the outside. The unnatural one. To preserve order, Miss Doyle, sacrifices must always be made. You."
"Am I a sacrifice?" I demanded. (21.29-21.30)
The captain declares that Charlotte "is the unnatural one," making her the ship's outcast. How will her sacrifice allow the ship's society to continue its orderly existence? Can you think of other literary works in which a character must be sacrificed for the betterment of society? (Pro tip: this is the basis for many literary tragedies.)