# Captain Guy — The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket character guide

> Captain Guy in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0015-xiv

## Snapshot

Master of the Jane Guy, a cautious commander who steers his crew toward the Antarctic and the unknown that waits there.

## Who they are

Captain Guy commands the Jane Guy on its sealing and exploration voyage, a professional seaman whose authority rests on experience rather than charisma. He is prudent where Pym is feverish, and his decision to push south past the usual latitudes is what carries the narrative from shipwreck survival into genuine discovery. His judgment—steady, fallible, and ultimately overtaken by forces no captain could anticipate—anchors the middle arc's turn toward the polar unknown.

## Relationships

### [Augustus Barnard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/characters/augustus_barnard)

_professional_

Augustus Barnard serves under Captain Guy on the Jane Guy, with a formal captain-crew relationship.

### [Henderson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/characters/henderson)

_professional_

Captain Guy and Henderson interact as captain and crew member aboard the Jane Guy.

### [Dirk Peters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/characters/dirk_peters)

_professional_

Captain Guy and Dirk Peters have a captain-crew relationship on the Jane Guy expedition.

## In the story

### [The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/the-narrative-of-arthur-gordon-pym-of-nantucket)

Captain of the Jane Guy, which rescues Pym and later leads the expedition to Tsalal.

### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xiv)

Commands the Jane Guy; explores the interior of Kerguelen's Land and leaves a sealed letter on a peak.

### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xv)

Commands the Jane Guy; purchases sealskins and ivory from Glass; leads the search for the Aurora Islands.

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xvi)

Decides to alter the ship's course southward after information from Tristan d'Acunha, and resolves to push boldly toward the pole.

### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xvii)

Commander of the Jane Guy, names Bennet's Islet, and is persuaded by Pym to continue south.

### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xviii)

Captain Guy is initially alarmed by the southern current but is persuaded by Pym; he leads the interaction with Too-wit and agrees to a short stay.

### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xix)

Leads the expedition inland; responds to Too-wit's speech with gifts of blue beads and a knife; negotiates for bêche-de-mer and tortoises.

### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xx)

Resolves to negotiate with Too-wit for building houses and collecting bêche-de-mer.

### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/chapters/xxii)

Captain of the Jane Guy; his orders to preserve the strange animal's carcass are noted.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/characters/captain_guy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_narrative_of_arthur_gordon_pym_of_nantucket_se/characters