Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in News of the World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fatherhood and Masculinity
American Multiculturalism and Racial Violence
News and Storytelling
Childhood and Innocence
War and Reconstruction
Summary
Analysis
Covered in dirt, Captain Kidd gathers his scattered possessions and leads the horses down the hill. He’s anxious and alert now, but he must rest soon or collapse. He knows that the Caddos will bury Almay and slip back into Indian Territory; their “child prostitution ring” will be no more. When they stop for the night, the Captain immediately falls asleep. He wakes up to a neat camp and the sound of Johanna commanding the horses to eat in English. She returns to him with a plate of food while he gingerly assesses the cut over his eye.
Although he doesn’t dwell on it, Captain Kidd protected not just himself and Johanna but other women and children on whom Almay can no longer prey. In this sense, he’s fulfilled what he considers to be the duty of all men. But he’s also learned a valuable lesson about women’s ability to fight for themselves—especially here as he acknowledges his own physical weakness compared to the young girl’s strength.
Themes
Captain Kidd gets up and rubs the horses down, checking for injuries. Meanwhile, Johanna plays in the stream, as carefree as a “six-year-old.” She reminds him of his previous life with his wife and daughters, and he things that perhaps the meaning of life is simply “surviving” and carrying “just one message” that is “delivered to us when we were born.”
The next day, Captain Kidd and Johanna come to a ferry crossing, but the ferry itself is long gone. They make the crossing by themselves and set off on the road towards Durand. Johanna looks up in wonder and the large oaks; the scenery is much different than the land where she grew up. Captain Kidd points out the different species to her. Then, demonstrating the actions himself, he teaches her the words for “sit down” and “stand up.” She calls him Kontah and Opa, which mean “grandfather” in Kiowa and German, respectively. Eager to show off her learning, she repeats all the words and numbers she knows.
While Johanna used to be suspicious and apathetic about the journey, now she expresses wonder and eagerness to learn. Fighting together against Almay has increased her trust in the Captain; by calling him “grandfather,” she shows that she now considers them to be a kind of family. While this is an endearing moment, it also poignantly reminds the reader that this arrangement is temporary, scheduled to end all too soon.
Themes
Captain Kidd is glad Johanna is content on the journey, but he wonders what will happen when they arrive in San Antonio and she realizes she’s expected to live in a stationary house for the rest of her life. Captain Kidd knows of two other “Indian captives” who starved themselves to death upon returning, and others have become “alcoholics, solitaries, strange people” as a result of being “abandoned by two cultures.” Moreover, now that they have both saved each other’s lives, he’s reluctant to hand her over to live with strangers.
By providing background on other “Indian captives” (many of whom existed in real life) the Captain points out the steep challenges facing Johanna. He also argues that their predicament is caused by the inability to reconcile their dual cultural heritage, implicitly suggesting that these troubled young people represent the cultural conflict that is occurring across the nation.
Themes
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Captain Kidd turns his thoughts to Durand, where he will give another reading to make up for the money they’ve shot away as ammunition. Although he once had savings and property, they all vanished during the Civil War; even if he didn’t have Johanna to take care of, his livelihood would be very precarious.
Although Captain Kidd found meaning in war as a young man, the most recent one has robbed his life of security and stability, with no discernable benefits.
Themes
Johanna brings Captain Kidd’s attention back to the present by making him explain the different words for shoe and foot. She tells him to stand up, sit down, and clap his hands until he’s weary and stops the game. He wants her to sit quietly, but she continues to shout and make up strange, broken sentences until they come close to Durand.
Johanna is revealing her playful, childlike side—behavior that no one but Captain Kidd witnesses. Because he accepts the things that makes her different from most children, he’s also able to see the ways in which she’s just like any other girl.
Themes
Suddenly Johanna quiets as a group of well-armed men ride up to the wagon. Captain Kidd wonders if they’ve heard about the shooting or are simply opportunists taking advantage of the chaotic political climate in Texas. A bearded man surveys the bullet-ridden wagon and dirty young girl inside. He asks where Captain Kidd is headed; swallowing his annoyance, he explains that he’s returning a former Kiowa captive to her home in Castroville. The man shakes his head at “the savages” and wonders aloud why they go around stealing children. He offers Johanna a piece of taffy, but she instantly strikes his hand away.
This episode is one of many moments when strangers detain and question Captain Kidd. In this case, the men don’t even seem to work for the government. The lack of freedom and security on public roads indicates the inability of Reconstruction officials to adequately serve the people and highlights the anarchic atmosphere that has arisen the absence of strong government.
Themes
In a sterner manner, the bearded man asks Captain Kidd if he supports Davis or Hamilton. From his tone, the Captain surmises that the atmosphere in Durand must be combative. Drawing himself up, he declares he’s offended that anyone would ask whom he voted for, and informs the men that he’s a veteran of two wars and fought for “the rights of freeborn Englishmen.” The men look confused but accept this explanation.
Captain Kidd is spouting platitudes that have nothing to do with the situation at hand, but it’s enough to placate these strangers. By parodying the histrionic, self-righteous language of politicians like Davis and Hamilton, Captain Kidd highlights the fundamentally nonsensical nature of contemporary politics.
Themes
Captain Kidd asks why the men have stopped him at all, and the men say that they’re not allowing any Davis supporters into the county. The Captain asks if this is an “official” suggestion, but the men say there are no officials in the town. All the local administration supported the Confederacy, so the army has thrown them out and sent no one to replace them. The men demand a half dollar to let the wagon pass.
Officials like Davis and Hamilton are sent by the federal government to promote loyalty and reconciliation in the Confederate states. But instead of meaningfully addressing pervasive issues like racism, they’re allowing mobs to control local towns, thus inciting distrust and resentment.
Themes
