Previous
Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Kidnapped, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Political Conflict and National Identity
Trust and Betrayal
Justice vs. Injustice
Coming of Age
Summary
Analysis
After crossing the tidal creek, David reaches the Ross of Mull, a remote, rugged peninsula where he follows some smoke he saw from Earraid and arrives at a poor cottage by evening. The elderly man there informs him that his shipmates, including a gentleman in breeches—Alan—passed through the day before. Alan left word for “the lad with the silver button” to follow him to his country via Torosay. The household feeds David well, warms him with strong drink, and restores his spirits. The next morning, he sets off in good health, noting how the English laws have banned Highland dress and forced locals into makeshift or absurd clothing. Though many are unhelpful or hostile, David bribes one man into guiding him to Torosay. Along the way, the guide repeatedly asks David for more money. Eventually, David refuses, so the man attempts to rob him. In response, David gets into a scuffle with the man, which results in David taking the man’s shoes and knife.
David’s return to civilization comes with relief but also with new complications. The hospitality he receives at the cottage offers a sharp contrast to the isolation of Earraid, and the mention of Alan instantly renews his sense of direction. His spirits rise because he is no longer wandering blindly; he has a message, a route, and a renewed connection to someone he trusts. Yet the path forward remains unstable. The ban on Highland dress serves as a reminder of the political tension still underlying every step of the journey. David sees how law and power reshape even the way people clothe themselves, and how that disruption breeds suspicion. His experience with the dishonest guide confirms that kindness cannot be expected, and that travelling through these lands requires judgment, caution, and the willingness to defend himself when trust fails.
Themes
Shortly after, David meets a blind man claiming to be a religious catechist. Though suspicious of the man’s poorly concealed gun and sly questions, David lets him tag along until the catechist grows hostile, prompting David to bluff that he also carries a pistol. The threat works, and the man slinks off. These two swindlers, David decides, are the worst of the Highlanders. At last, he reaches Torosay and finds a scholarly innkeeper from the Maclean clan, who treats him well but harbors resentment against Alan’s people. The innkeeper warns that the blind man—Duncan Mackiegh—is a dangerous criminal. Grateful to be safe, David reflects with pride on the hundred-mile trek he completed in four days and the strength he has regained along the way.
David sees through Duncan Mackiegh’s performance almost immediately but chooses to keep the man close until it becomes too dangerous. His bluff shows confidence and a growing understanding of how to control a situation without force. These run-ins sharpen David’s instincts. When he reaches the inn at Torosay, he does so not as a castaway or victim, but as someone who has learned to navigate uncertainty. The praise he gives himself at the end is deserved. He has earned his sense of accomplishment through steady, informed decisions.
Themes
