Character Clues

Character Analysis

Props

The Chrysalis doesn't exactly offer a lot of closet space, so the personal items each Byron chooses for his year at sea hold a lot of significance.

Gerry, of course, brings Blankie, which emphasizes his role as the baby of the family. He also brings toy cars. Ben, who turns sixteen on the sea, brings car magazines—similar to Gerry's toys, but much more mature. Ben's car obsession also associates him with dry land, making him seem like a fish out of water on the Chrysalis. (Pun intended.)

Dad, an English professor, is never without a book of poetry. This helps emphasize the idea that his head is in the clouds, a little detached from reality.

He always said he could read a poem a hundred times and it would be new every time. (6.4)

The same could be said for Mr. Byron, whose different "readers"—his sons—interpret his behavior in different ways. (See "Thoughts and Opinions" below.)

Thoughts and Opinions

In The Great Wide Sea, characters' thoughts and opinions help us understand not just each of the Byron boys, but also the dynamics in their family. Generally speaking, Ben and his father are always at odds; they see the world in super different ways.

But Ben also butts heads with his sibs. Just check out Ben and Dylan disagreeing about what happened to their missing father:

"What makes you think a man trying to drown himself would turn on the EPIRB?"

"What makes you think he was trying to drown himself?" (22.13-22.14)

The book doesn't quite resolve who was "right," but these opinions help us understand that Ben is more pessimistic than his brother, who tries to see the best in people.

Occupation

On the boat, everyone has a job except for Gerry (Gerry's job is hanging out with Blankie). Dad is the captain, which emphasizes his bossiness—and also the fact that he calls all the shots when it comes to the lives of his three kids.

Dylan's the brains and Ben is the brawn, which tell us about their characters, too.

Dylan was working hard to learn navigation, especially sun shots. I was doing a different kind of hard work. Dad hauled me up to the mast to mount a new anemometer for measuring wind speed. (6.8)

Dylan and Ben fulfill similar roles on the island, where Dylan figures out the science stuff (like distilling fresh water), and Ben builds a boat out of wreckage. One brother is a thinker and the other is a doer. These skills end up complementing each other like peanut butter and honey, though: both are equally necessary for survival.