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Chapter 38
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Wide Wide Sea, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Exploration and Discovery
Imperialism, Colonialism, and Science
Cultural Collision and Misunderstanding
Legacy and Historical Narratives
Summary
Analysis
Following Cook’s death, the expedition continues under Clerke, who guides the ships through a last survey of the Hawaiian Islands before heading north toward the Arctic. The crew, emotionally raw and physically weakened, confronts brutal weather and low morale. Once again, they reach the impassable wall of Arctic sea ice and make little progress. Clerke, now in the final stages of tuberculosis, succumbs to illness in August 1779 at Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The crew buries him there with military honors. John Gore assumes command of the Resolution, with James King now promoted to command the Discovery.
Clerke leads the expedition north through storm and sorrow, pressing on despite worsening weather, sickness, and grief. His attempt to fulfill Cook’s Arctic ambitions ends in the same unbroken barrier of sea ice. Upon Clerke’s death, Gore steps in to lead the Resolution, while King rises to command the Discovery. The change marks a final transfer of authority—away from the generation of leaders shaped by Cook and toward those merely tasked with returning safely to England.
Active
Themes
Later that year, the ships reach Macau, where they pause to rest and repair. There, the sailors discover that the sea otter pelts collected at Nootka Sound are extremely valuable in the Chinese trade market. Whispers of potential riches circulate through the crew, and some sailors begin to talk openly of mutiny, hoping to return to the Pacific Northwest to trade fur rather than continue to England. Gore works to suppress these discussions and keep the expedition focused on completing its mission.
At Macau, the discovery of sea otter pelts’ immense value ignites a dangerous temptation. The vision of wealth clashes with the duty to complete a scientific mission. Gore suppresses the unrest, but the episode signals how quickly loyalty aboard the ship can erode as leadership changes and as the stakes seem to shift.
Active
Themes
Meanwhile, news of Cook’s death travels to London ahead of the ships. The British public responds with shock and mourning. King George III and the Admiralty express personal grief, and newspapers across Britain print stories that mix outrage, reflection, and fascination. Many portray Cook’s killers as treacherous, while others attempt to explain the tragedy through the lens of cultural misunderstanding.
When the Resolution and Discovery finally reach London in October 1780, the world has changed. Britain is now fighting a global war, with France and Spain joining the American cause. The surviving crew faces personal reckonings as they return to lives forever altered. Some, like John Gore, continue their naval careers. Others seek new frontiers. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Cook lives out her life in mourning, having lost her husband to the sea.
Active
Themes
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