# The Narrator — The Cruise of the Nona character guide

> The Narrator in The Cruise of the Nona by Hilaire Belloc.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** I, myself, mine

**First appearance:** 0000-dedication

## Snapshot

A restless sailor-philosopher who takes his small boat out from Holyhead at midnight, convinced that only a one-man craft can yield a real voyage.

## Who they are

He is the book's first-person consciousness: mariner, historian, controversialist, and pilgrim, working the Nona along the Welsh coast with one companion and a Welsh-speaking hand. His governing conviction is that a small boat, dependent on a man's own energy and skill, is the only honest way to go to sea; the rich man's comfortable cruise is a dull round by comparison. That creed sets the voyage's terms, since every calm, contrary tide, and unexpected shift at sea becomes material for his meditations on life, politics, and memory.

## Relationships

### [The Nona](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/the_nona)

_friendship_

The Narrator shares a deep, contemplative companionship with the Nona, using the voyage as a framework for philosophical and historical reflection.

### [Mr. Gladstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/mr_gladstone)

_professional_

The Narrator engages with Mr. Gladstone as a political and historical figure, analyzing his statesmanship and legacy.

### [Cardinal Manning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/cardinal_manning)

_psychological_

The Narrator is fascinated by Cardinal Manning's complex personality and religious influence, often probing his motives and contradictions.

### [James II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/james_ii)

_rivalry_

The Narrator critically examines James II's reign and policies, viewing him as a flawed monarch whose actions led to downfall.

### [Mr. Lowther](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/mr_lowther)

_social_

The Narrator interacts with Mr. Lowther as a contemporary political acquaintance, discussing issues of the day.

### [Gambetta](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/gambetta)

_rivalry_

The Narrator regards Gambetta as a contrasting political figure, often critiquing his republican fervor and methods.

### [John Redmond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/john_redmond)

_rivalry_

The Narrator opposes John Redmond's Irish Home Rule agenda, seeing it as a threat to the Union.

### [Monmouth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/monmouth)

_rivalry_

The Narrator analyzes Monmouth's rebellion as a misguided and doomed challenge to royal authority.

### [Stephen Reynolds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/stephen_reynolds)

_friendship_

The Narrator shares a warm intellectual friendship with Stephen Reynolds, discussing literature and life aboard the Nona.

### [Dr. Jowett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/dr_jowett)

_professional_

The Narrator respects Dr. Jowett as an academic and theological authority, engaging with his ideas on education and faith.

### [Dodgson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/dodgson)

_social_

The Narrator mentions Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) as a curious and whimsical figure, but their interaction is peripheral.

### [The Dreyfus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/the_dreyfus)

_psychological_

The Narrator is deeply absorbed by the Dreyfus Affair, seeing it as a symbol of injustice and political manipulation.

## In the story

### [Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/chapters/dedication)

The author dedicates the work to his late companion.

### [To Maurice Baring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/chapters/to-maurice-baring)

Reflects on life, memory, and the sea; dedicates the book to Maurice Baring.

### [The Cruise of the Nona](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/chapters/the-cruise-of-the-nona)

Reflects on navigation rules, the nature of time at sea, and the vanity of literary fame.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters/the_narrator
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cruise_of_the_nona_se/characters