Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry is a story about a boy who is afraid of the sea. When some boys tease him, he decides he will go out on the ocean to prove he is brave. Then, he gets caught in a horrible storm. When the storm is over, he finally sees land and the ocean current takes him there. His canoe is destroyed coming into shore but he and his dog survive. While drinking from a small stream, he finds a trail that leads up a volcano. When he reaches the top, he notices another island nearby. He realizes it looks like the home of the legendary Eaters of Men. While exploring the other side of the island, he finds a sacrifice pyramid. As he is about to run away, he notices a spear and finds the courage to get it. He crosses back, builds a shelter and makes a fire. The next day, he starts building a new canoe so he can return home. One day, he finds a whale carcass washed up, and uses a bone to make a knife. Later, he takes his raft out to check the fish traps, only to find that a shark is stealing his fish. When his dog jumps overboard, he kills the shark to save the dog. Some time later, he is charged by a wild boar, kills it and enjoys roast pig for dinner. One day, he drops his knife into the ocean. Determined to retrieve it, he dives, fights off and kills the octopus that attacks him. Finally, he finishes his canoe, but before he can leave the eaters-of-men return to the island. They pursue him in his canoe, eventually turning back when they get too far from land. The boy returns home and for the first time, he is considered brave.
I think one of the main themes of Call it Courage is that fears have to be faced, or they will always be there. For example, the book describes, "But most important of all, he had won a great victory over himself. He had forced himself to do something that he dreaded, something that took every ounce of his will" (64). This support that sometimes the hardest thing to conquer is yourself. When the boy states he is no longer afraid of the sea, he says, "'The sea, at last, was as much his element as the land'"(86). Later in the book, he drops his knife into the ocean and despite the danger, he realizes he must retrieve it. "How could he abandon his knife? Would Maui (the thought chilled him) think him a coward? Was he still Mafatu, the Boy Who Was Afraid?”(89). Lastly, when the boy returns home, his father is proud of him for facing his fears. He says, "'A brave name for a brave boy!(115). These quotes all support that conquering fears is a main theme in Call It Courage.
The setting and the theme of this book are closely related because they both directly relate to courage. One reason is because he surrounded by the sea and he is scared of the sea. The book states, "It was the sea that Mafatu feared,"(2). Also, Mafatu’s Polynesian setting and culture valued courage. “They worshiped courage, those early Polynesians"(1). Lastly, the island he is stranded on is home to the eaters-of-men. "He had heard Grandfather Ruau tell of the Smoking Islands, the home of savage tribes. They were the dark islands of the eaters-of-men"(42). This proves that he must be courageous and find a way to leave before they return. That is why the setting is so important to Call it Courage.
Call It Courage is linked to how the early Polynesians came to their home. The boy used currents to return home and to get to the island. That is how the Polynesians might have made their home. They possibly sailed, using only wind and currents to go to their islands. It is interesting how the book relates to science.
Although this book teaches a good lesson, I would not recommend it to many readers. It seemed very abrupt and not very smooth. When I was reading it I could guess accurately what was going to happen next. Also, parts of the book were repetitive. He fought and killed the shark, then the boar, and then the octopus without much variety in between. This book is not one I would recommend.
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