41 pages • 1 hour read
Elisa CarboneBlood on the River
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 4-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 4 Summary
Two months have passed, and Samuel and the others are still traveling on the Susan Constant. Samuel has survived a long and difficult illness, and now the Susan Constant, with the two other ships, is traveling south toward the Canary Islands. Samuel marvels at the “ocean so clear and blue” (21) when he goes up to deck for the mess pot for the other servants below, and he observes Captain Newport looking angry as the captain follows Samuel below deck to the servants’ area, called the ‘tween deck; Samuel witnesses Captain Newport place Captain Smith under arrest for “intent to overthrow the government of this mission, murder the council members, and make yourself ruler” (23). Captain Smith accuses Master Wingfield of lying to Captain Newport, and the two men almost come to blows.
To Samuel’s disappointment, Captain Smith controls his emotions, and challenges Captain Newport by asking him calmly if the captain believes the lies of the other gentlemen. Captain Smith reminds Captain Newport that it was Master Wingfield and the other gentlemen who “want[ed] to go back to England, to their comforts, every time there [was] a storm” (24), insinuating that the gentlemen are unreliable despite their signed seven-year contracts with the Virginia Company. Master Wingfield bristles at the suggestion, and “[h]e draws his dagger and comes at Captain Smith” (24). Reverend Hunt, Captain Newport, and two other sailors come between the two men, and Captain Smith is placed in irons that clamp his wrists and ankles into chains. Samuel reflects on the rumors he hears about Captain Smith from the other gentlemen, the ones that claim Captain Smith is “an ignorant commoner, [who] wants the power of a noble” (25). Samuel worries for Captain Smith’s life, which he believes is in danger.
Chapter 5 Summary
The Susan Constant anchors at Gran Canaria, and Samuel looks at the mountainous landscape from deck while Captain Smith is still in restraints. Samuel brings him water in the morning to use for washing, and he notices that Captain Smith is writing now that his wrists are free. Captain Smith asks Samuel about his reading ability, and Samuel explains that his mother taught him to read and that she had learned from “the son of our gentleman landlord” (27) who had a special friendship with his mother. Samuel notices Captain Smith’s calmness, which he doesn’t fully understand; this calmness in the face of the rumors circulating about the Captain suggests to Samuel that “Captain Smith seems to be winning the battle” (28) despite his shackles.
James, Richard, and Samuel discuss the rumors they have heard about the New World, and the conversation amuses Samuel because the terrifying rumors sound so unlikely. Two of the “common men” (30) named Henry and Abram take the boys’ food while goading the boys about their fears, and Samuel mocks Richard for his gullibility. James is hopeful that Samuel is right, and when the boys hear the call, “Land ho!” (31), Samuel grabs the oatmeal pot so that he has a reason to go up to the deck to see the land in the distance. When Samuel gets on deck, he sees canoes moving on the water toward the Susan Constant, and “[i]n the canoes are the very creatures conjured up by Richard’s stories” (32). Captain Newport warns the others not to attack, and he commands one of the sailors to get Captain Smith.
As soon as Captain Smith arrives to the deck, he begins to communicate with one of the men in the canoes, “speaking strange words and using hand motions” (33) to express that the ship is peaceful and in need of food and trade. The message is transmitted successfully, and “[a]ll afternoon, the natives come back and forth to our ship in their canoes, bringing sweet-smelling fruits and other food from their island, which sits, green and lush, nearby” (33). That evening, Samuel brings Captain Smith tallow to apply on his sores, where the iron shackles have rubbed the skin, and he asks the captain how he knew the language of the natives. Captain Smith reveals that he spoke in words from a different tribe so that “Newport and the others think they need me as a translator in these islands” (34).
Chapter 6 Summary
The Susan Constant sails past the Canary Islands, and the climate is hot. Some of the men go onto the island of Guadeloupe, and the “passengers are allowed up on deck” (36). Samuel and Captain Smith observe three fish in pursuit of a huge whale in the clear water, and after the three smaller fish successfully kill the whale, Captain Smith expresses satisfaction, noting that being the “biggest fish in the sea” (37) doesn’t matter when “the skill and the perseverance of those lower born can take you down and destroy you” (37).
At the next island, all the passengers of the Susan Constant go on shore, and Samuel works to load necessary items on a longboat. Both of the other ships, the Godspeed and the Discovery, also anchor, which brings the total number of men and boys preparing to go on shore to 105. Captain Newport promises safety from the Carib Indians who live on the island. Richard and James cavort on the beach, and when James invites Samuel to join them, Samuel is shocked that James seems to have forgiven him for his meanness during the journey. Richard teases Samuel, saying that he “need[s] a good delousing” (39), and Samuel reacts badly by splashing Richard aggressively. Though Richard tries to behave as if Samuel was playing, both know Samuel was warning Richard not to say anything insulting ever again.
Reverend Hunt summons the boys to work, and they reluctantly leave the water. Samuel does not want to do menial tasks like scrubbing pots, so he tries to follow the men who are using hatchets to clear a path for the gentlemen who don’t want to be “tromping through the underbrush” (40) to get to the baths. A sailor named Henry scolds Samuel for attempting to join and grabs the hatchet from him. Samuel resignedly goes to find the cook, who will instruct him how to scrub pots, when everyone hears a man scream; Henry runs out of the woods, covered in painful welts, and it turns out that he has chopped into a manchineel tree, whose sap is poisonous. Captain Smith loudly ridicules the idea to clear the path, which angers Captain Ratcliffe; Captain Ratcliffe defies Captain Smith, ordering the men to a cut a new path to the baths.
Captain Smith decides to teach Samuel how to clean a sword, and Samuel resists the training, feeling “[i]t is better to remain unteachable” (45). He is anxious about doing it wrong and receiving a beating for it, but Captain Smith persuades him by telling him that he can serve “other, crueler men” (45) instead. Samuel learns quickly once he makes up his mind to try, and Captain Smith is pleased. That evening, Samuel hears the sound of something being built, and he is horrified to learn that the gentlemen have built a gallows, proof that “Master Wingfield has not forgotten his promise to hang Captain Smith” (46).
Chapter 7 Summary
The next day, Captain Smith is “back in chains” (47) when Reverend Hunt gathers the men for Sunday services. The reverend preaches against the sin of lying, and Samuel prays that the sermon “will save Captain Smith from his hanging” (48). When Samuel brings Captain Smith his lunch, he sees that the captain is “unafraid of these weak gentlemen and their threats” (49). The reverend appears and unlocks Captain Smith’s shackles, explaining that he has convinced the gentlemen that Captain Smith’s ability to translate is too valuable to lose. He asks that Captain Smith “act as though [he has] proper respect for these gentlemen” (49), and Captain Smith agrees. The gallows is dismantled and burned for the cooking fire. The men and boys prepare to travel on. On the island of Mona, a group of gentlemen “dress as if they are going pheasant hunting on a cool English morning” (50), and the hunters return with “two boars, several iguanas, and the gentleman Edward Brookes” (50), who died from the heat. The men bury Master Brookes, and Samuel dreams of cannibals who dig up his grave for food.
Chapter 8 Summary
The Susan Constant travels north toward Virginia, and Reverend Hunt warns against landing in Florida, where the Spanish have been known to massacre settlers. A violent storm discourages the gentlemen who all complain that the voyage is “ill-fated” (53) and scares the boys. Samuel taunts James, and Richard comes to Samuel’s defense, insulting Samuel by calling him “a common thief” (54). Richard and Samuel fight until Captain Smith pulls Samuel away and orders him to stand on one foot. When Samuel pauses, confused by the strange request, the captain “cuffs me for my hesitation” (55). Samuel finds it impossible to balance himself on the rocking ship, and Captain Smith continues with his lesson. He instructs Samuel to treat the other boys better because “the wilderness is like a ship in a storm” (56) and standing on his own will not work. Samuel will need the others to survive, just as he needs his other leg to stand. The captain locks Samuel in the iron chains and leaves Samuel to sleep “between two crates” (56).
The next morning, the ships arrive to Virginia. Richard and Samuel are both bruised from their fight, and Richard apologizes to Samuel at the urging of Reverend Hunt. Captain Smith reminds Samuel that “it was important for someone to bring me a bucket in the morning when I was locked in those things” (57), forcing Samuel to apologize to Richard before asking him for help. When the captain is “satisfied with what I have learned about cooperation” (58), he frees Samuel.
Virginia appears to be “green, quiet, and desolate” (59). Captain Smith prioritizes building houses over digging for gold, unlike Master Wingfield, and “thirty men in all disembark for the exploratory trip, most of them gentlemen and sailors” (59). Everyone else waits on their ships, discussing their reasons for the voyage. Reverend Hunt emphasizes his purpose: “to bring the good news of Christ to the Virginia natives, and to look for survivors from the Roanoke colony” (60). Samuel reflects on the notion of cooperating with others, which is new to him. As the men return to the ships at the end of the day, five natives “crouched on a hill, their naked bodies painted” (61) shoot arrows at the men. The muskets do no harm, and the natives escape, having injured two men.
Chapters 4-8 Analysis
Chapters 4-8 describe in detail the arduous journey Samuel undergoes while making his way to the New World. He and the other passengers on the Susan Constant, as well as the other two ships, finally land in the New World in the spring of 1607, and many of the challenges of their voyage foreshadow more difficulty to come once they make their way to land. The theme of emotional maturity comes into the forefront during this difficult voyage, as Samuel must endure discomfort while living closely with the other boys and men. Samuel’s tendency to criticize and mock the other boys while they live together in cramped quarters is nearly automatic, which means he must work hard to improve his attitude and become more generous.
Interpersonal difficulties between the gentlemen and the commoners, especially Captain Smith, do not appear easily resolvable, reflecting the hard and fast differences between members of each social class that interfere with cooperation and progress, both at sea and on land. The themes of culture, identity, and power can be traced through nearly every sharp comment and hostile glance that these men volley toward one another. To make matters more volatile, though Captain Smith is clever and knowledgeable, he tends to be hotheaded, and his impatience with the gentlemen creates problems in an already tense atmosphere. He teaches Samuel about the importance of self-control—knowledge he likely has gained himself the hard way. Samuel is characterized as a young boy who bears a temperamental similarity to Captain Smith, a similarity which suggests that Samuel too has leadership potential, and that any progress Samuel might make will be hard won.
Reverend Hunt appears to be a beacon of wisdom, diplomacy, and openness amongst the men who conflict with one another regularly. From the perspective of the reverend, the colonists are traveling in order to spread the word of God, and his mission to bring as positive an influence as possible is vastly different to the mission of the wealth-seeking gentlemen. From both Captain Smith and Reverend Hunt, Samuel learns about a different way to look at the world, as well as the importance of friendship and cooperation with the other boys. In these two men, Samuel finds the adult guidance he has been lacking since the loss of his mother, and he begins to mature into a valuable member of the community.
The attack on the ships by the natives upon arriving to the New World foreshadows more violence later in the novel. Clearly, the colonists are not welcome, and they will have to struggle to make a life for themselves in the New World. As well, the poor judgment of the gentlemen, who are focused on gold and wealth instead of practical concerns like housing, foreshadows a battle of priorities and power as Captain Smith’s frustration with their imprudence festers.
