Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea
Encyclopedia
Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea is a book by Michael Morpurgo
, first published in 2006 by HarperCollins
. It was inspired by the history of English orphans transported to Australia after World War II
. The book's title is taken from a line in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
.
from Bermondsey
, in London
, and that, at the age of six, in 1947 he was transported to Australia
to find a new home. He is parted from his sister, Kitty Hobhouse, who he is not sure exists or not. He remembers distinctly the time of their parting, at the docks
in Liverpool
, when she gave him a key
, which he calls his lucky key and wears from that day on. He boards the ship
and leaves for the country that is to be his home for the rest of his life.
The boat trip is terrible. In his bunk there are some other boys, who are older than he is, all about eight years old, and from the north. They bully him because he is younger than them, he's a Cockney
, he sings London Bridge is Falling Down
to get himself to sleep, and he's often violently sea sick. But one day, whilst being sea sick over the boat's edge, he meets fellow London orphan Marty. They become friends. Then along come some of the bullies, and their leader, Wes Snarkey, starts calling Arthur a "poxy Cockney". Marty, who is a tall boy of ten years old, beats Wes to the ground. The bullies leave Arthur alone after that.
Upon arrival in Sydney,someone tries to separate Arthur and Marty, but Marty makes sure that doesn't happen, and the two, along with some of the other boys, are taken on a bus
ride through the outback. Arthur notices that only one of the boys is one of the bullies from the ship, and that's Wes Snarkey, who leaves him alone because of Marty. Arthur reckons his lucky key is working well, but, little does he know, a dark turn is coming.
The bus draws to a halt at a place called Cooper's Station, which is clearly a farm
. The gramophone is playing What a Friend We Have In Jesus
. The farm is run by Mr. Bacon (a.k.a. Piggy Bacon). His wife is Mrs. Bacon (a.k.a. Mrs. Piggy). The couple are very unalike. Piggy Bacon is cruel, loud, and claims to be a good Christian
but is not; Mrs. Piggy is kind, caring, quiet, a good Christian, and is completely under her husband's power.
Soon, Mrs. Piggy's kindness is revealed, and the boys start calling her Ida. Ida soon tries to start a fire to free the kids from the working camp, but fails. Wes Snarkey, now the boys' heroes because of his blatant defiance, attempts to escape, but is brought back dead by the bushmen
. Arthur and Marty escape on a horse into the bush, where the bushmen look after them. One day the bushmen leave them for no apparent reason. Then they are started to be looked after by Aunty Megs, a woman who looks after all the orphaned animals of the bush, and sets them free. One day, she gets badly injured after falling off her horse. Soon after nursing her back to health Arthur and Marty are sent to a boat maker, where a fire starts and Marty drowns after getting drunk. Aunty Megs dies, and Arthur joins the war. He later quits and getting an illness, he has to go to hospital. He falls in love with the nurse Zita there, and they marry and have a daughter called Allie (Alexis). Arthur tells Allie about Kitty and the Key, and Allie is persistent to find out the meaning of it. Arthur makes a boat called Kitty IV (Kitty Four) after the Kitty 1 in the bath, Kitty 2 in the pond and Kitty 3 for a river to sail to England
to find Kitty and find out the meaning of the key. The boat is named after Kitty. Unfortunately, before the launching of the ship, Arthur is diagnosed with a brain tumour. His death ends the first part.
befriends Allie, who believes it to be Arthur's spirit, because he loved albatrosses. Allie sends emails to her family and during the quest, she finds that her grandpa and a scientist are above her in the sky, she finds out where Kitty is, she accidentally kills the Albatross but, Arthur's spirit marges into a turtle, and Kitty IV is badly damaged. Soon she arrives at England meeting an old woman, who is Kitty. She takes the key, puts it into a music box, and it opens, singing London Bridge Is Falling Down
, one of Arthur's favourite songs.
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
, first published in 2006 by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. It was inspired by the history of English orphans transported to Australia after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The book's title is taken from a line in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98 and was published in 1798 in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads. Modern editions use a later revised version printed in 1817 that featured a gloss...
.
Part One (Arthur Hobhouse)
Arthur Hobhouse tells the story of his life. His earliest memory was that he was an orphanOrphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
from Bermondsey
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and that, at the age of six, in 1947 he was transported to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to find a new home. He is parted from his sister, Kitty Hobhouse, who he is not sure exists or not. He remembers distinctly the time of their parting, at the docks
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, when she gave him a key
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...
, which he calls his lucky key and wears from that day on. He boards the ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
and leaves for the country that is to be his home for the rest of his life.
The boat trip is terrible. In his bunk there are some other boys, who are older than he is, all about eight years old, and from the north. They bully him because he is younger than them, he's a Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
, he sings London Bridge is Falling Down
London Bridge is Falling Down
"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 502.-Lyrics:...
to get himself to sleep, and he's often violently sea sick. But one day, whilst being sea sick over the boat's edge, he meets fellow London orphan Marty. They become friends. Then along come some of the bullies, and their leader, Wes Snarkey, starts calling Arthur a "poxy Cockney". Marty, who is a tall boy of ten years old, beats Wes to the ground. The bullies leave Arthur alone after that.
Upon arrival in Sydney,someone tries to separate Arthur and Marty, but Marty makes sure that doesn't happen, and the two, along with some of the other boys, are taken on a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
ride through the outback. Arthur notices that only one of the boys is one of the bullies from the ship, and that's Wes Snarkey, who leaves him alone because of Marty. Arthur reckons his lucky key is working well, but, little does he know, a dark turn is coming.
The bus draws to a halt at a place called Cooper's Station, which is clearly a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. The gramophone is playing What a Friend We Have In Jesus
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" is a Christian hymn originally written by Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, and only received full credit for it in the 1880s. The tune to...
. The farm is run by Mr. Bacon (a.k.a. Piggy Bacon). His wife is Mrs. Bacon (a.k.a. Mrs. Piggy). The couple are very unalike. Piggy Bacon is cruel, loud, and claims to be a good Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
but is not; Mrs. Piggy is kind, caring, quiet, a good Christian, and is completely under her husband's power.
Soon, Mrs. Piggy's kindness is revealed, and the boys start calling her Ida. Ida soon tries to start a fire to free the kids from the working camp, but fails. Wes Snarkey, now the boys' heroes because of his blatant defiance, attempts to escape, but is brought back dead by the bushmen
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
. Arthur and Marty escape on a horse into the bush, where the bushmen look after them. One day the bushmen leave them for no apparent reason. Then they are started to be looked after by Aunty Megs, a woman who looks after all the orphaned animals of the bush, and sets them free. One day, she gets badly injured after falling off her horse. Soon after nursing her back to health Arthur and Marty are sent to a boat maker, where a fire starts and Marty drowns after getting drunk. Aunty Megs dies, and Arthur joins the war. He later quits and getting an illness, he has to go to hospital. He falls in love with the nurse Zita there, and they marry and have a daughter called Allie (Alexis). Arthur tells Allie about Kitty and the Key, and Allie is persistent to find out the meaning of it. Arthur makes a boat called Kitty IV (Kitty Four) after the Kitty 1 in the bath, Kitty 2 in the pond and Kitty 3 for a river to sail to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to find Kitty and find out the meaning of the key. The boat is named after Kitty. Unfortunately, before the launching of the ship, Arthur is diagnosed with a brain tumour. His death ends the first part.
Part Two (Allie)
Allie goes on the search for Kitty, setting up the Kitty IV website. The Kitty 4 boat is made so that when it is knocked over, it flips back up, representing her and her father's fighting spirits. During the search an albatrossAlbatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
befriends Allie, who believes it to be Arthur's spirit, because he loved albatrosses. Allie sends emails to her family and during the quest, she finds that her grandpa and a scientist are above her in the sky, she finds out where Kitty is, she accidentally kills the Albatross but, Arthur's spirit marges into a turtle, and Kitty IV is badly damaged. Soon she arrives at England meeting an old woman, who is Kitty. She takes the key, puts it into a music box, and it opens, singing London Bridge Is Falling Down
London Bridge is Falling Down
"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 502.-Lyrics:...
, one of Arthur's favourite songs.