| The Thinking Machine | |
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Real Name |
Arthur Gordon Pym |
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First Appearance |
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) |
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Original Publisher |
Harper & Brothers |
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Created by |
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Origin[]
Arthur Gordon Pym is a young man from Nantucket who embarks on a series of adventurous voyages that lead him into extraordinary and often terrifying situations.
At the beginning of the novel, Pym is portrayed as discontented with his mundane life on land and yearns for excitement and adventure. One night, while drunk with his friend Augustus Barnard, he seizes the opportunity of the breeze to sail out on a sailboat, the Ariel. However, the weather soon turns hostile and the two boys are caught in a bad storm while on the edge of passing out. Fortunately, they are both rescued by a whaling returning ship.
This experience does not dampen Pym's enthusiasm, though. Seizing the next opportunity, he stows aboard the Grampus, a whaling vessel commanded by Augustus's father headed to the South Seas, setting the stage for the unfolding of his harrowing journey. He confronts numerous challenges, including mutinies, shipwrecks, encounters with hostile indigenous (possibly alien) peoples, and the harsh conditions of the Antarctic landscape. Despite these trials, Pym remains steadfast in his quest for survival and his pursuit of the unknown.
Pym is not without flaws. He is impulsive and prone to making rash decisions, often putting himself and others in danger. His actions sometimes lead to disastrous consequences, underscoring the theme of the hubris of human ambition. As he delves deeper into the uncharted territories he encounters, Pym grapples with themes of isolation, madness, and the limits of human knowledge.
Public Domain Literature[]
- The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838)
- An Antarctic Mystery (1897)
- A Strange Discovery (1899)