Previous

In contrast to David Cheap’s failures, John Bulkeley’s successes make an argument for allowing natural leadership to emerge on its own. From the start of the voyage of the Wager, Bulkeley is positioned as Cheap’s opposite. He has very few personal ambitions beyond doing quality work in his position as gunner, and he does not believe he owes flattery to men who are higher than him on the official chain of command. After the Wager wrecks, Bulkeley continues to put the needs of the group above both his own ego and the expectations of the naval ranking system. He takes it upon himself to devise ways to improve the castaways’ quality of life whenever possible. Even when it comes time to mutiny, Bulkeley is careful to assign official command to Lieutenant Baynes, who follows Cheap in the chain of command. However, Baynes does not want to commit to a leadership role, so Bulkeley remains the leader in all but name.

When Bulkeley navigates an escape from Wager Island, he chooses a route that will maximize the crew’s survival rather than one in line with the ship’s original mission and Captain Cheap’s ambitions. However, the journey of the Speedwell from Wager Island to Brazil is so difficult that Bulkeley begins to suffer some of the same stresses that Cheap did on the Wager, becoming more fanatical and single-minded about the group’s progress. Despite this, Bulkeley makes an effort to regularly consult with Cummins and Baynes, which emphasizes his very real differences from Cheap. When he begins to worry about mutiny among the men on the Speedwell, Bulkeley does not retreat into himself and allow his own insecurity to weaken his leadership. Instead, he threatens to abandon the ship and allow the crew to take over. The thought of continuing without Bulkeley reminds the crew of his value and competence as a captain. Unlike Cheap, Bulkeley is too strong a commander for his men to risk losing the advantages of his leadership.

Previous section David Cheap

Take a Study Break