Previous
Chapter 25
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Sea-Wolf, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Self-Reliance and Maturation
Materialism vs. Idealism
Survival of the Fittest
Love, Duty, and Choice
Summary
Analysis
Wolf Larsen distributes whiskey to his crew while Van Weyden treats the newly wounded. Wolf Larsen’s victory over Death Larsen seems to put him in a good mood.
Again, Death Larsen’s name has a double meaning. Wolf Larsen celebrates overcoming Death, but he also celebrates overcoming death.
Active
Themes
Literary Devices
Wolf Larsen, Van Weyden, and Maud Brewster talk about why humans do things; Wolf Larsen argues that desire motivates people, but Maude Brewster thinks that the soul is really what determines a person’s behavior. Van Weyden says they’re both right and that desire and the soul are the same thing.
This conversation illustrates how Van Weyden has changed from his time on the Ghost. At the beginning of his journey, he was the opposite of Larsen, but Maud Brewster’s arrival and with how Van Weyden has changed from being a sailor, he now finds himself in the middle between Larsen and Brewster.
Active
Themes
Wolf Larsen, Maud Brewster, and Van Weyden continue to discuss philosophy and literature, including the figure of Lucifer in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Wolf Larsen defends Lucifer, and Maud Brewster says that Wolf Larsen is Lucifer.
Wolf Larsen says he’ll go relieve Louis on the wheel and suggests that Van Weyden go to bed. But after Van Weyden goes to bed, he wakes up and goes out, only to find Maud Brewster struggling to get out of the embrace of Wolf Larsen. Van Weyden draws his knife and strikes a glancing blow on Wolf Larsen’s shoulder blade. Van Weyden prepares to deliver a more serious blow, but Maud Brewster urges him to stop.
Active
Themes
Get the entire The Sea-Wolf LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Wolf Larsen seems suddenly much weaker and says he is a sick man, repeating it several times. Van Weyden leads him off to his bunk. Once he has put Wolf Larsen to bed, Van Weyden comes back to Maud Brewster and says that the only thing left for the two of them is to make a 600-mile escape journey in a boat. The steal some supplies, lower a boat, and head for Japan.
Active
Themes
