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Chapter 10
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Kidnapped, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Political Conflict and National Identity
Trust and Betrayal
Justice vs. Injustice
Coming of Age
Summary
Analysis
Alan and David eat breakfast in the bloodied round-house, enjoying the ship’s best food and drink while the surviving officers are stuck with nothing but water. Alan gives David a silver button as a token of friendship, and they are soon hailed by Riach, who proposes a truce. Riach says the crew has lost heart and wants Alan off the ship. Hoseason and Alan meet to negotiate. The captain wants to sail to Glasgow, but Alan demands to be dropped near his home in the Highlands. After some haggling, they agree on 60 guineas if Alan is landed in the Linnhe Loch, and they seal the deal by trading a bottle of brandy for two buckets of water.
The silver button Alan gives David marks a formal bond of loyalty and kinship between them. In a novel shaped by shifting alliances and uncertain trust, the button stands out as a rare symbol of genuine connection. Alan’s gesture turns David from a companion in battle to a recognized friend, bound not by blood or background, but by choice. Additionally, Alan proves himself to be a much better negotiator than David and quickly gets what he wants out of the crew.
Themes
