How does life aboard the Alert compare with life on the Pilgrim? What factor(s) most account for the difference?

Which character(s) most impress Richard Henry Dana, Jr., and in what ways do they influence his development as a sailor and thinking human being?

How does Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'s legal training show in the novel?

How does Richard Henry Dana, Jr. reveal and conceal his religious beliefs in the first edition of this book? To what extent are the revelations in the later addendum expected or surprising?

What is Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'s bottom-line evaluation of Mexican society in Upper California in 1835/36? Describe the various castes as he describes them.

Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'s shipmates find his climbing down the cliffs to retrieve hides foolish. Why do you think he does it and includes narration of two separate climbing...