preview

Loyal to a Fault

Decent Essays

Loyal to a Fault When you hear the word loyal; moral, ethical and committed are the traits that come to mind. These are positive attributes that are encouraged in a person. But if you are true to your loyalty, to another person or your beliefs at what point does loyalty cross the line and you compromise your morals, ethics and commitments or are blind to the truth. In the novel Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson, there are many examples of loyalty through family, friendship and your obligations to your cause. It is shown where one is blinded by loyalty and could cross the line in pursuit of loyalty that it becomes a fault. To begin the novel is based on David, the main character, who has recently lost both parents and is set out …show more content…

Another example is the introduction of Romano in the earlier part of the book. He is a young orphan who works as on the ship as a cabin boy. He is always mistreated and badly beaten by the navigator of the ship but he always want to go back on that ship rather then find another that might be less dangerous to him. "Thats's Mr. Shaun that navigates the brig; he's the finest seaman in the trade...Why look 'ere" and turning down his stocking he showed me a great, raw, red wound..."He done that-Mr. Shaun done it" he said, with an air of pride" (Stevenson 31). Later in the book Ramone was beaten so badly by Mr. Stuart that he dies. Ramone was loyal to the ship and his shipmates even though they were not loyal to him. He could have found a better ship to work on but he was blind in his loyalty which ultimately led to his death. Loyalty through friendship is a strong theme throughout this novel. The main characters come from very different backgrounds and beliefs. David is a young man of seventeen who has no fighting experience and has been brought up as a Protestant Whig and has a good moral towards what is right and wrong . On the contrair Alan is a rebelitious, adventurists who has been raised as a Catholic Jacobite who will kill for the cause. These two characters on principal should not be friends however because of their respect of each other they overcome their differences in background and become extremely loyal to each other. The relationship starts when the Captain

Get Access