58 pages • 1 hour read
Patrick O'BrianMaster and Commander
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1969A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Historical Context: The French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleon
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of conflicts ranging from 1792-1802 between France and a coalition of other European nations. The French Revolution began in 1789 and culminated in the execution of the French King Louis XVI in 1793. After a period of republican government and social upheaval sometimes called the “Reign of Terror,” Napoleon Bonaparte came to power. He began his career in the French army during the revolution, and then he led successful military campaigns in Austria and Egypt, which he used to lead a coup in 1799. He named himself the First Consul of the French Republic and turned the democratic republic into a dictatorship. During this period, the British opposed French republican politics and France’s attempts at military expansion. Alongside a coalition of allies such as Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, British forces battled against the French and their Spanish allies from 1790-1802 in what is known as the War of the Second Coalition. During this period, many battles between French and Coalition ships were fought in the Mediterranean, as France sought to take control of formerly Ottoman territories in Egypt and Syria. In 1798, the British fleet under the command of Sir Horatio Nelson defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s navy at the Battle of the Nile, crippling France’s ambitions to control the Mediterranean. In 1802, Britain and France signed the Treaty of Amiens, ending hostilities.
By 1803, this short peace had ended. Britain declared war against France in 1803, beginning a series of wars that would last until 1815, known as the Napoleonic Wars. These wars occurred throughout Europe, with the French First Consul and later Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, seeking to expand France’s borders. A few of the most significant events of the Napoleonic Wars include the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo. The Battle of Trafalgar occurred in 1805 between the British Navy and the Franco-Spanish navies. The British won decisively, securing their position as the dominant naval force and ensuring that Britain could not be invaded. Lord Horatio Nelson was the commander of the British fleet and was able to destroy the French and Spanish navies despite his smaller numbers, although he himself was killed during the battle by a French bullet. The Battle of Waterloo occurred in 1815 and resulted in the defeat of the French, the end of the Napoleonic Empire, and Napoleon’s capture and exile. The British and their coalition of allies restored the Bourbon dynasty to control over France, ending the Empire and returning France to monarchy.
Master and Commander takes place between 1800 and mid-1801, primarily during the War of the Second Coalition. Much of the action of the book revolves around the war, and O’Brian repeatedly alludes to battles, occurrences, and significant figures during this time period. Jack Aubrey, for instance, the protagonist inspired by the real-life Lord Cochrane, wears “the silver metal of the Nile in his buttonhole” (7), alluding to his participation in the Battle of the Nile. Aubrey also directly references Lord Nelson; this blend of fact into the fictional story of Aubrey and his ship adds significant historical context to the novel. The Aubrey-Maturin series, of which Master and Commander is the first book, spans all the way through the Napoleonic Wars; the final completed novel, Blue at the Mizzen, is the only book in the series to take place after the wars are over.
Ideological Context: The Society of United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was a group of Irish reformers who advocated for Catholic Emancipation, universal suffrage for men, and an Irish republic. It was formed in 1791 by a group of Presbyterian merchants in Belfast, inspired by the ideals of the American and French revolutions. Ireland at the time was a monarchy under the control of the English king, but not yet a part of Great Britain. It had an independent parliament, but this parliament was controlled by a group known as the Protestant Ascendency. These were a minority group of Anglicans who held political and economic control over Ireland, despite its Catholic majority population. The Society of United Irishmen sought to oppose this Protestant Ascendency and achieve equal representation for all of the religious groups of Ireland.
In 1798, the Society of United Irishmen led an uprising against British rule. This revolution was suppressed by the British army, resulting in a massive death toll for both combatants and civilians. While the French offered to support the Irish revolutionaries, they were also defeated. This failed revolution resulted in the Acts of Union in 1800, which merged the Parliament of Ireland with the Parliament of the United Kingdom. While this revolution failed, it became an important symbol for Irish nationalists.
The Society of United Irishmen is a significant source of conflict for the character James Dillon. Dillon, who serves as Aubrey’s lieutenant in the British Navy, experiences a great deal of turmoil due to conflicting loyalties. A former member of the Society, Dillon claims to have distanced himself from the revolution, but he repeatedly displays an attachment to his country of origin. He lashes out at Aubrey for his anti-Irish Catholic remarks, and he allows Irish rebels to escape, though this particular decision leads to a massive inner struggle. Maturin, a secondary protagonist in the novel, was also a former member of the Society; however, he has more clearly cut his ties due to his pacifism, and he stresses that his loyalties lie only with people, not with governments or institutions.
Historical Context: Lord Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane was a Scottish naval officer whose numerous victories made him the inspiration for Jack Aubrey in Master and Commander, as well as the character Horatio Hornblower, created by C. S. Forester. Cochrane was born to an aristocratic Scottish family in 1775. He joined the British Navy in 1793, as his family had lost much of their wealth and sold their lands to pay off debts. Throughout the French Revolutionary wars, Cochrane won numerous victories over superior ships, employing novel tactics that O’Brian borrows such as pretending to be a Danish ship infected with the plague to avoid capture and placing a lantern on a floating barrel to deceive a pursuing vessel by night.
In 1801, Cochrane’s ship the HMS Speedy captured the Spanish xebec frigate El Gamo. While the El Gamo was larger, carrying more men and more cannons, Cochrane was able to prevent the ship from firing on the Speedy by flying false American colors and then approaching so closely that the cannons could not be used. Cochrane’s crew then boarded and captured the El Gamo. In 1801, Cochrane was held prisoner by the French Admiral Linois, who he claimed was polite and often asked him for advice.
O’Brian assigns many of these naval strategies and biographical details to the character of Jack Aubrey. Aubrey’s ambitious nature is driven by his impoverished background. His biggest accomplishment in Master and Commander is the successful capture of the Cacafuego, a direct reference to El Gamo. Toward the end of the novel, Aubrey and the Sophie are defeated by the French and captured; however, Captain Christy-Palliere and the other French officers treat Aubrey with respect, a nod toward Cochrane’s time as Admiral Linois’s prisoner.
