The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket · Character
Captain Barnard
A well-known New Bedford sea-captain whose whaling stories inflame young Pym's imagination, and whose ship becomes the stage for the voyage's worst horrors.
supporting
First appearance: i
As a supporting figure in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, Captain Barnard is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Captain Barnard is attacked, tied up, and left dying with a deep wound to the forehead during the mutiny.
Barnard commands the Grampus and, by extension, the trust of Nantucket's merchant families; his son Augustus is Pym's closest friend and co-conspirator. His long absences at sea create the opening the boys exploit, and his authority aboard ship is the very thing mutineers must destroy. His fate—and the ship's—sets the moral weather for everything that follows.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this chapter, the narrative reaches its dramatic climax through the psychological and emotional peak of Pym…
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Captain Barnard appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Captain Barnard unlock in the free preview.
See Captain Barnard in i