amedia: An old-fashioned ship tinted gold with the caption FEELING LUCKY (lucky)
[personal profile] amedia
Thoughts about the 11th book in the Aubrey-Maturin series, which I just finished rereading earlier today. VERY SPOILERY! Do not click if you haven't read the book; this will spoil the finest moment in the entire series (IMHO).

If you consider the series as one long, enormously satisfying book, the eleventh chapter (i.e., the 11th book, The Reverse of the Medal) has to be its climax. The first time I read it, something about it struck me; I had the same thought this time around, plus one more.

Thought the First: After Jack is arrested, his wiser, more worldly friends realize things will go very badly, and try to help out by hiring the best lawyer available, an investigator, bodyguards, etc., none of which helps much at all. Jack, on the other hand, is hopelessly naive, believing that his innocence and really his innate goodness will see him through.

At first we say, oh, poor Jack, he's completely wrong, and the outcome of the trial proves it. But then, when he's actually pilloried and in very real danger, danger clearly spelled out by a chilling discussion among the other characters, there's that incredible, brilliant scene where the seamen come pouring in with their fierce loyalty and not only stand guard so that no one can hurt Jack, but actually cheer for him. And you know why?

Because of his INNATE GOODNESS. Jack was RIGHT.

Thought the Second: Tolkien spoke of something he called a "eucatastrophe" - a seeming catastrophe that turns out well - as the effect he was striving for at the climax of the Lord of the Rings when Frodo can no longer resist the pull of the Ring, the same literary device, if it might be so described, as the Resurrection, the astonishing victory when defeat seemed most certain. This scene fits that paradigm splendidly.

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