University of South Carolina

Captain Blood Critique

Kayla Engel

SCHC 457

Dr. Woertendyke

12 November 2014


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Captain Blood is the story of a man driven to the freedom of piracy to escape the bonds

of slavery. Following the transition from a colorful life on the sea to a doctor, a man named

Peter Blood takes to being a pirate after having been enslaved for a crime he did not commit.

The novel by Rafael Sabatini looks at the political sphere in which the Atlantic Slave Trade

operated, British politics of the seventeenth century, and the morality of piracy. One character

who is unique in this multifarious novel is Arabella Bishop. By looking at Arabella, we can see

the way in which Sabatini portrays her as a strong, intelligent character, showing us that she is a

feminist and an atypical female heroine.

The first way that Sabatini creates a feminist heroine is through the description of

Arabella given at the beginning of the novel. Rather than being a feminine woman, “her voice

was crisp and boyish, and there was something of a boyishness in her manner — if one can apply

the term to so dainty a lady” (Sabatini 41). The main female character is one who is not is

flirtatious and sexually intriguing. Instead, “she used with all men a sisterly frankness which in

itself contains a quality of aloofness, rendering it difficult for any man to become her

lover” (Sabatini 41). Normal words expected to describe a woman of the seventeenth century are

delicate, sensitive, gentle, and unobtrusive. Sabatini’s descriptions of Arabella prove the exact

opposite of this, pointing towards Arabella being an atypical, feminist hero.

Arabella’s actions throughout the novel show how she is an outspoken, commanding

presence that defies female expectations of the seventeenth century. The first example of this is

when Arabella has her uncle purchase Blood. When her uncle is buying slaves, Arabella steps in

to ensure Blood’s purchase and says, “ But this is the man I meant” (Sabatini 39). She steps into

a role that is normally male and enters the realm of the slave trade. A sphere normally not
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occupied by women is interrupted with the opinions and ideas of a boyish woman. Arabella is

shown to be a feminist by not only purposefully occupying a male sphere, but by being

successful in it. Her intelligence is clear in the way she manages to persuade her uncle to

purchase Blood, convincing the men who normally run the trade to appreciate and adhere to her

opinion.

Sabatini also creates his feminist heroine through her interactions with Blood. Arabella is

strong and unafraid to place accusations and guilt upon Blood. Instead of holding her tongue and

acting oblivious to Blood’s actions, Arabella calls in to question everything Blood has done when

she says, “I do not number thieves and pirates among my acquaintances, Captain

Blood” (Sabatini 207). She is outspoken, and condemns Blood for his actions. Arabella’s

strength in holding Blood accountable presents her as a strong woman, a feminist using her voice

to search for justice. She does not allow herself to ignore Blood’s actions and mockery for the

sake of love. Blood realizes, when recalling Arabella’s accusation, “She had no charity for him,

no mercy” (Sabatini 210). Arabella is a strong woman of character who does not stray from her

morals, rather than being a woman who serves as the blindly, faithful love interest.

Arabella is proven to be an atypical heroine when involved in a confrontation with Blood.

When the two are arguing over his actions Arabella is unafraid of opposing blood. Sabatini

writes, “You take that tone! You dare take that tone!’ she cried, astounding him by her sudden

vehemence” (241). Her unexpected, fiery display of passion astonishes Blood. She does not

allow him to place blame on her, but instead confronts him. Arabella allows herself to become

irate, and instead of behaving as a subjective and placid bystander, she vindicates herself by

criticizing Blood. Arabella proves herself to be a strong and intelligent woman throughout
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Captain Blood. By creating a female heroine who is outspoken, boyish, and smart, Sabatini

creates a feminist and atypical heroine.

Bibliography

Sabatini, Rafael. Captain Blood. New York: Penguin, 2003. Print.