Do you think Townsend is a good person? Does he change throughout the novel?

Do you think Townsend is a good person? Does he change throughout the novel?

I enjoyed the conflicts Townsend encountered throughout the book. Often times, it is easy to judge a situation to be black and white, when reality is most things are in the grey area. I do think Townsend was a good person, but he had to make a few difficult choices that sometimes went against that, such as running the blockade for a cause he didn't support. I enjoyed reading about Townsend's internal struggles because many of us face similar conflicts every day.

He had a hasty temper at first but he matured and realized what was the right thing to do with experience.
He personally saw the evils of slavery and realized he had to fight against it, even if it put him in peril.

I think that this character was well-written from the standpoint that he matured over the course of the novel. I felt like he started out kind of generally disapproving of slavery but not really thinking about it much. It's only when it was right up in his face that he developed a stronger opinion and decided to take a stand.

Yes. His principles evolved and became more evident as he was exposed to the horrors on the island.

I think Townsend was a very good person. He was raised and influenced by compassionate parents, who he loved and respected. He was profoundly sad about his mother's death and concerned that he had disappointed his father re: expulsion from the military academy. He was melancholy, not only about his mother's death, but his brother and Captains Evans as well -- they were "heavy on his mind." Of course, as an imperfect person, he made mistakes and imperfect decisions, but considering all he did and endured he was an impressive 19-year-old!

I think he is a good person. He knew the risk of helping Michael Abbott, although he had some reservations he did what was right. He was forced to work for Don Pedro, either that or be murdered in prison. When he finally met his grandmother he could have become a wealthy man but he was against slavery and hated the way the slaves were treated. He was definitely a good person.

I think he was a good person and he tried to do what was right. I think he felt like he had no choice in helping with the blockade running although he didn’t agree with it. He did try to help others out. The author did a great job in showing how he matured throughout the book.

Townsend matures as the book goes on, and as the "hero" that's exactly right. He has to take what he knows at his age and process it to move toward maturity and make better decisions. Watching the young woman's opinion of him change is as if we are also watching.

Well said all of you. I had to remember that he was very young and to not compare him to todays youth but to keep his age in perspective as to what other young men were called upon to do during the Civil War.

I also had to keep in mind that he was young. Im sure with age and his experiences his temper would ease

Townsend was a good person, keep in mind he is a young teenage male and how he thought and acted was like a rebellious teenage boy! I had to keep reminding myself he was such a young fella' with great responsibility. I could see where he matured in his being Captain of a ship. I feel he remained a "novice" about romance until much later on. Overall, Townsend was very interesting and a dynamic character.

I agree that Townsend was raised to do the right thing and the military school would have reinforced that. he was so young - 19! He evolved throughput the novel, and was exposed to new situations which forced him to think before acting and be more cautious with his trust. He still relied on his instincts and gut feelings, was a bit brash, but matured quickly.

I do think Townsend was a good person. He was young and often intemperate in his actions, but he learned from his mistakes and matured with experience. An evil person would not have struggled with some of the moral dilemmas that Townsend faced.