The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | Chapter 5: The Storm and What Came of It

Chapter Summary:

Three weeks after the Dawn Treader first reached the Lone Islands, it sets off again. The first few days of sailing east are very nice, especially for Lucy, who spends time playing games with Reepicheep. The nice days do not last, unfortunately. A storm comes quickly from the west, and engulfs the ship in 12-13 nonstop days of rain and storms. Everyone works hard just to keep the ship afloat and somewhat on course. There is no time to cook, eat, or rest.

After the storm, Eustace writes multiple entries in his diary. Eustace writes his first entry on September 3, during which he complains about the 13-day storm and how Edmund and Caspian are cruel to him. He mentions that water and food are being rationed, and that their only hope is that there will be land to replenish their supplies further east--which is not a guarantee at all. 

In his September 6 entry, Eustace recounts how he had planned to steal some of the water ration in the middle of the night, and is caught in the act by Reepicheep. This results in his being publicly shamed in front of most of the ship's members.

On September 9, Eustace writes that land is in sight. On September 11, Eustace writes that they have anchored the ship near land.

The narrator resumes the story at this point, and says that this was Eustace's last diary entry for a long time. On the morning of September 12, the Dawn Treader goes ashore on an apparently deserted, mountainous island. There is a great deal of work to do in restoring provisions and repairing the battered ship. 

Eustace suddenly realizes that instead of working, he can sneak off and enjoy a cool, restful day in the mountains and after a long rest rejoin the others. He climbs up from the beach, into woods, and up the nearby mountain until he reaches a ridge. At this point, the fog closes in, and Eustace suddenly has a fear of being left behind. He clamors back down, only to find that when the fog clears, he is in a strange valley, with the ocean, the Dawn Treader, and its crew nowhere in sight.

Reflection:

Eustace's moment is coming. You can definitely feel it. As Eustace slowly goes through the forest and then up the steep mountain, a change is already coming over him:

"The grass was dry and slippery but manageable if he used his hands as well as his feet, and though he panted and mopped his forehead a good deal, he plugged away steadily. This showed, by the way, that his new life, little as he suspected it, had already done him some good; the old Eustace, Harold and Alberta's Eustace, would have given up the climb after about ten minutes" (p. 317). 

Here we have a Eustace that is finally able to understand the benefit of physical labor--even if he cannot even yet admit this to himself. This is a Eustace who has built a connection with nature--something that the old Eustace would never conceive of doing.

Thus far, indications of my prediction are coming true--that Eustace is going to be our character for growth and development during this novel. Likely, this matter is going to go into full swing during our next chapter, "The Adventures of Eustace."

There is a good deal more to discuss in this chapter. The 13-day storm is both unusual (for real life), but also is none-too-surprising, given the at-sea plot that we are dealing with. Of course, storms in a vast majority of novels are meant as metaphors for life itself. We watch as Caspian and his crew desperately try to survive a terrible storm, which should bring to mind the storms that we have endured, whether they have lasted 13 minutes, 13 days, or 13 years. 

But as in most stories, the storm is about more than just the difficulties that it causes or the consequences. Instead, the storm is about the resiliency of the individuals who endure it--and that it what we are seeing here with the Dawn Treader. The entire crew of the ship, regardless of an individual's position--King or simple rower--is enduring the consequences of the storm. They are, literally, all in the same boat. 

What results is a significant amount of personal growth, as each character grows stronger--physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. Likely, this process has already begun to take place within Eustace, and the results are beginning to show. 

As the Bible tells us, we must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain, and in some ways, this is exactly what is occurring with Eustace, and perhaps some of the others who have sailed along with the Dawn Treader. I have no doubt that this storm will be a direct cause of the success of the journey before them.