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Chapter 3
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
David’s day at the House of Shaws begins quietly. He eats cold porridge for lunch and hot porridge for dinner, while Ebenezer remains withdrawn and cryptic. David spends the afternoon in a small library next to the kitchen, reading with enjoyment until a strange inscription in one of the books unsettles him. Written by his father in a “clear, manly hand,” it appears to be a gift to Ebenezer on his fifth birthday. David finds this strange, as he always thought his father was Ebenezer’s younger brother, which is why he did not inherit the House of Shaws. When David questions his uncle, asking if Ebenezer and his father were twins, Ebenezer becomes visibly disturbed and does not answer. David becomes suspicious, thinking of stories he has heard about disinherited heirs and scheming relatives.
David’s discovery in the library is a critical moment of doubt and awakening. The inscription, which suggests his father was the older sibling because the handwriting is so “manly” and legible (and so it couldn’t have been written by a child younger than five), shatters the story he has always believed. Stevenson uses this detail to destabilize David’s understanding of his place in the family and to plant the possibility of fraud or betrayal. David’s growing unease and his quick connection to stories of disinheritance show that he has begun to think like someone who must protect himself. This shift pushes him further from innocence and deeper into a world where people twist family ties for power and advantage.
Themes
Later that evening, Ebenezer suddenly announces that he owes David a sum of money he had promised to his brother. Though the story behind it is clearly false, Ebenezer produces 37 gold guineas, shocking David with this uncharacteristic generosity. David begins to suspect his uncle has a hidden motive. Ebenezer then asks for a favor: he wants David to climb to the top of a dark tower to retrieve a chest. He refuses to give David a light, claiming he fears fires. Sensing something strange, David still agrees but proceeds with extreme caution. When lightning briefly illuminates the stairwell in the tower, David sees that it leads to a sheer drop. Realizing that his uncle likely sent him to his death, David retreats, furious, and returns to the kitchen just as a thunderstorm breaks overhead.
Ebenezer’s sudden generosity contradicts everything David has observed so far, and the lie behind it is so thin that it confirms David’s suspicions. As such, David is primed to expect danger when he approaches the tower. When he discovers the drop in the stairwell, he realizes that he was right to distrust his uncle all along. It becomes clear that the only reason Ebenezer was willing to give David so much money is because he was planning to retrieve it off of David’s corpse. Furthermore, he seems to want David dead because there is a far larger sum at stake.
Themes
David sees Ebenezer standing outside in the storm, presumably listening for the sound of David’s fall. When lightning strikes, Ebenezer panics, flees inside, and begins drinking heavily. David follows him inside and surprises him by slamming his hands down on his shoulders, causing Ebenezer to collapse in fear. While the old man lies insensible, David searches the house and finds a hidden dagger, which he hides in his clothing. When Ebenezer comes to, pale and gasping, David demands answers. Ebenezer weakly begs for time and promises to tell everything in the morning.
David’s confrontation with Ebenezer breaks their power dynamic wide open, as David seizes control. The thunderstorm echoes David’s emotional state and signals the shift in dominance. When David slams his hands down, he reverses their roles: the terrified old man now lies helpless while the youth demands answers. David has learned to act decisively, as he hides the dagger and prepares for whatever may come.
Themes
