The Honour of the Flag by William Clark Russell
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"The Honour of the Flag" by William Clark Russell is a short story written in the late 19th century. The narrative presents a lively tale centered around the conflicts and camaraderie between two very different characters: John Sloper, a retired tailor, and Joseph Westlake, an old sailor who is determined to assert the honor of his maritime flag. Set against the backdrop of the bustling Thames River, the story explores themes of
pride, honor, and the humorous misunderstandings that can arise between civilians and seafarers. The opening of the short story introduces us to John Sloper, who celebrates the anniversary of his wife's death with great enthusiasm, much to the dismay of nearby sailors. One fateful Easter Monday, Sloper fires cannons in celebration, which inadvertently irritates Westlake and his crew on the cutter, the "Tom Bowling". A series of humorous exchanges follows, leading to a spirited confrontation between the two, as Westlake feels his flag's honor has been insulted. With a combination of bravado and mischief, the sailors retaliate against Sloper, taking him captive as they debate the significance of their actions and ultimately leading to a satirical exploration of dignity and retribution on the open waters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Russell, William Clark, 1844-1911 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 08001803 |
| Title | The Honour of the Flag |
| Contents | The honor of the flag -- Cornered! -- A midnight visitor -- Plums from a sailor's duff -- The strange adventures of a South Seaman -- The adventures of three sailors -- The strange tragedy of the "White Star" -- The ship seen on the ice. |
| Credits | Produced by Ted Garvin, Don Perry and the Online Distributed Proofreaders Europe at dp.rastko.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 73.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Sea stories, English |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 19899 |
| Release Date | Nov 23, 2006 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 321 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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