The Commodore Summary
Patrick O'Brian

The Commodore Summary

The most commonly reiterated themes throughout the Aubrey/Maturin series are duty, love of glory, freedom from tyranny (especially as embodied by Napoleon), the pursuit of knowledge, and the maintenance of civil relations among the sometimes fractious members of the human race, considered as individuals and as nations. In The Commodore, these themes are expressed as the characters pursue the double mission of patrolling the west coast of Africa against the slave trade and then defending the coast of Ireland against French invasion.

Freedom from tyranny is an especially important theme in The Commodore. Not only do Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin carry on their part of the ongoing struggle against Napoleon, but other characters struggle against other forms of tyranny also. Sailors encounter tyranny of different sorts on both the Thames and the Stately, so severe in the former case that mutiny may occur; the captains of...

(read more from the Short Guide)