The Master of Ballantrae: Week 4

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Chapter 9: Mr. Mackellar's Journey with the Master

Mr. Mackellar and the Master, accompanied by Secundra Dass, leave Durrisdeer on a dreary miserable day for their journey to Glasgow to catch a ship for New York. They end up on the Nonesuch, a rickety ship on its last journey and generally have a miserable journey.
The Master and Mackellar are the only passengers, other than Dass, so they are thrown into each other's company.

Do we learn anything new about their characters?
Any incidents stand out?

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Chapter 10: Passages at New York

This chapter deals with Master's arrival at New York and the welcome, or lack thereof, he receives from Henry.

Henry has a settled life there, until his brother shows up.
What does the Master do to disturb Henry's peace of mind?
What does Mackellar do to try to mitigate the situation?

There is also mention of a buried treasure. (This is a book by RLS after all!)

What is the final straw that pushes Henry over the edge into madness?

[Abigail]

I haven’t read chapter 10 yet but I thought the chapter with the sea voyage had some brilliant writing. It read in parts like a psychological thriller. And what a portrait of a sociopath! “This outer sensibility and inner toughness set me against him; it seemed of a piece with that impudent grossness which I knew to underlie the veneer of his fine manners; and sometimes my gorge rose against him as though he were deformed—and sometimes I would draw away as though from something partly spectral. I had moments when I thought of him as a man of pasteboard—as though, if one should strike smartly through the buckram of his countenance, there would be found a mere vacuity within. . . . Certain, at least, that he loved the note of his own tongue, as, indeed, he entirely loved all the parts and properties of himself, a sort of imbecility which almost necessarily attends on wickedness.”

And the whole exchange after Mackellar tried to shove the Master overboard was riveting.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I could sense how Mackellar felt in presence of the Master-like being close to a cobra! Or a bucket of slime!

[Lori, Moderator]

The sea voyage was more interesting than much of the book has been for me.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Lori wrote: "The sea voyage was more interesting than much of the book has been for me."

I agree.

[Neil]

I thoroughly enjoyed chapter 9 as well. I anticipated the assassination attempt by McKellar. However, when the Master thwarted that attempt, one would’ve expected retaliation; instead they appeared to be reconciled. I thought themaster’s reaction may have had another purpose, namely that McKellar would be useful to the master at a later date.

I thought the tale of the Barron and the Count Was well written and added a lot of interest to the chapter.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

The Baron/Count would work well as a short story on its own.

[Robin P, Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "The Baron/Count would work well as a short story on its own."

Yes, it seemed like it was just stuck in. It reminded me of how Dickens would sometimes insert unrelated stories. It does sustain a mood.

It seems like the author is trying to include all kinds of adventure, an isolated Scottish location, a story from India, a sea journey and it sounds like a journey to the wilderness yet.

[Nancy]

Henry's decisions toward the Master are to be applauded, but his anger and thirst for revenge are ruining his life, just as surely as the Master wants. Of course, the Master is up to no good. He is a thoroughly despicable character, purely evil. I agree that the sea voyage was an excellent part of the story, mainly because of the strong effect of the Master's personality on McKellar. At times, McKellar despised the Master and even tried to kill him, but there were moments when he began to succumb to the Master's charm in a very disturbing way.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

The Master is a very effective speaker with a strong personality-and no morals.