Short Fiction · Character
Gustaf Johansen
A sober second mate who survived the Emma's doomed voyage into waters no chart admits, and came back with secrets he refuses to tell straight.
supporting
Also known as Johansen, Second Mate Johansen, Mate Johansen
First appearance: the call of cthulhu
As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Gustaf Johansen is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Second mate of the Emma, sole survivor of the Alert, who recounts the battle with the cult crew, the landing at R'lyeh, and the encounter with Cthulhu.
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Johansen commands the eight remaining sailors of the Emma after the Alert's hybrid crew orders them back from waters they should never have entered. He is described as a worthy man, yet he grows queerly reticent about…
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See Gustaf Johansen in the call of cthulhuCharacter Web
7 connectionsA slice of how Gustaf Johansen sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Social
- Other
Character groups
- Diverse Lovecraftian characters
- Cthulhu cult investigators
- Protagonist
- Cosmic horror explorers
+2 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of terror, where…
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Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Unknown Narrator
social · ambivalent
Gustaf Johansen is a sailor whose account of a terrifying sea voyage is relayed to the… How this plays out →
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Gustaf Johansen in the call of cthulhuIn the story
Gustaf Johansen appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Gustaf Johansen in the call of cthulhu