Blood on the River

“And just like in the old days, I see black, feel my knees crumple, and I’m out before I hit the ground.”

When Samuel is hit over the head by the pawn shopkeeper’s son, the pain and the weakness of the experience feel familiar. Samuel’s knowing attitude toward his injuries reveals that he is accustomed to being treated badly and that he has been physically attacked in the past. Within the first few pages of the novel, the reader is aware that Samuel’s past is complicated and difficult, and this early characterization of Samuel suggests that he is a survivor.

“‘I know these gentlemen. They’ll expect to have everything done for them, expect it to be easy. They won’t lift a finger to work.’”

The voyage to Virginia has not yet begun, and Captain Smith is already annoyed by the behavior of some of the men involved in the expedition. The captain’s irritation with the gentlemen members of the expedition to the New World foreshadow conflict between himself and the gentlemen; as well, his irritation suggests that Captain Smith understands the ways of privileged men and that their ways are very different from his ways.

“Instead of trying to decipher which of the men are to be trusted and which are not, I have made it simple for myself: Trust no one. It is a philosophy that worked for me in the poorhouse, on the streets of London, and at the orphanage.”

Though Samuel’s personal philosophy worked for him when he needed to survive tough life experiences as an orphan, it is not a philosophy that is sustainable. Samuel is young, and he has not known much love or affection, so it is only natural that he has developed a straightforward approach to dealing with the world; however, the world is a complicated place and Samuel will soon have to learn a new approach to dealing with his life as it begins to undergo dramatic changes.