Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Encyclopedia
The Curse of the Blue Tattoo is a historical novel
by L.A. Meyer
. It continues the story of orphaned London girl, Jacky Faber, in the 18th century. The story began in Bloody Jack, and continues in Under the Jolly Roger
, In the Belly of the Bloodhound
, Mississippi Jack
, My Bonny Light Horseman
, Rapture of the Deep
, The Wake of the Lorelei Lee
, and The Mark of the Golden Dragon
.
. It is hoped that she will be trained in the ways of high society.
The tattoo is of a blue anchor on her right hipbone. Throughout the novel, it is confused with a pitchfork and gives her a bit of trouble.
by the uptight Professor Tilden. She is forced to leave her sea dad, Liam Delaney, and her ships boys including the boy she loves, James Emerson Fletcher.
When they get to the school, Jacky is introduced to Mistress Miranda Pimm. She is seen as a very strict and unforgiving lady, soon lashing at Jacky for her wild and outrageous clothing style such as the gold hoop earing that her and Jaimy exchanged. Mistress Pimm can't get any satisfaction or respect so she has her cronie assistant Dobbs come and take off her unsuitable jewelry by force. After their initial meeting, Jacky is sent to meet the other girls.
She finds them very different but takes up with one Amy Trevelyne, a bit of an outcast amongst the girls. Amy is from around the Boston
/New York
area and has a brother that is a renowned womanizer. She is instantly an enemy of the spoiled Clarissa Worthington Howe. She is the leader of all the popular girls in the school and soon Jacky cannot take this different attitude
displayed by Clarissa and fights her, both leaving considerable bruises and marks on each other.
She takes a horse riding class, an art class, an embroidery
class, a class in French and an etiquette
class. On Sunday mornings, the girls go to a church off in a desolate area of the school-grounds inhabited by one Reverend Mather. Rather than the preacher that the Deacon was for Jacky aboard the 'Dolphin', Mather is a bit of an unusual man and Jacky soon finds out why.
While Amy and Jacky are walking through the graveyard by the church between classes, Jacky spots a man looking through the window of an old shed at the two girls. Jacky is creeped out and as they noticed an unmarked grave, they leave in a hurry.
After Jacky is engaged in a fight with Clarissa, Mistress Pimm whips them both on their legs, and Clarrisa is shocked that she is actually getting punished. Jacky is right about Mather as she finds him to be more than a typical "fire-and-brimstone" preacher. And she thinks he has something to do with the unmarked grave, so she intends to find out nonetheless.
But after deciding to skip class and roam the streets of Boston, Jacky winds up in the port playing her pennywhistle. Some sailors hear her, and they and she begin to dance. However, her shipman's dancing doesn't pass muster in the streets of Boston
, and when a lisping constable comes across her showing her knees to men, she is imprisoned for lewd and lascivious acts. Jacky meets the "lady of the night" prostitute Mam'selle Claudelle de Bour-bon of the New Orleans Bour-bons.
She finds Mam'selle to be a bit crazy (her sexual orientation is questionable) but she takes up with Jacky calling her delicate names like 'Precious' and others. Soon after time in jail, Jacky is seen before the feared Judge Thwackham. All is going well, for her lawyer is an excellent one. But when the constable produces her shiv
, which is a knife, as evidence to her impropriety, it seems all is lost. Jacky falls to her knees in quite a display of innocent weeping, in which she, quite luckily, mentions the name of Miss Pimm. The judge and his jury are delighted that they have finally got one of "Pimm's girls" in their court, as they have fussy wives and daughters that are very proud of the fact that this has never happened. They are so tickled that they let Jacky off with suspended punishment, confident that the horrified Pimm will do enough.
Jacky's lawyer, Ezra, returns Jacky back to the school and before Mistress. Instead of whipping Jacky, she expels Jacky from the school but keeps her to work for the cooks and maids. This horrifies and embarrasses her terribly, but it works out well, because she finally meets some nice girls; the serving maids. They grow a great friendship. But before this happens, Jacky must visit Mather to discuss her behavior in Boston. Jacky is shocked when he lashes out, calling her a whore and a minion of Satan
. Mather is about to whip Jacky, but she fights back, telling him he has no right, and finally running out on a shocked Mather after warning him she has a lawyer.
She goes to see Ezra one day and talks about Mather. Ezra says that one year ago, a girl by the name of Janey Porter who worked for Mather was found hung in her bedroom from a bedpost (Jacky finds it impossible but Ezra tells her otherwise) and that she died while pregnant. Ephriam Fyffe, Janey's love interest, also explains that Janey Porter was pregnant but it was not his child, though he said he would have raised it as his own. He says that many found her death surprising, as she was generally a cheerful girl. Jacky is convinced Janey did not die from suicide and consults with her friend, Ephriam Fyffe. He confirms that Janey was a very happy girl until the last month of her life, even through the most of her pregnancy. This gives Jacky more to investigate and she finds the Reverend walks the graveyard by night, recalling the events as if he was talking to the spirit of Janey. Jacky sees this a state of mental paranoia
and conviction.
She is convinced the Reverend Mather killed Janey Porter. She has Amy sneak out and watch the Reverend for herself before they go and tell Ezra and Ephriam about it. Ezra sees it possible now to press charges against the minister. During the time of being a maid, Jacky writes letters back and forth to Jaimy even though a couple were intercepted by Mistress Pimm. She runs with the Mam'selle and a drunk artist by the nickname of Gully, he plays a violin named Lady Lenore and they perform in Boston's taverns. She tries and haunts the paranoid Mather by imitating the voice of the ghost of Janey Porter. It succeeds and causes Mather to lose sleep.
She meets back up with Davy from the 'Dolphin' but only for a brief time and she meets Randall Trevelyne, Amy's womanizing brother. A bit of a friendship ensues and a brief, harmless relationship too. Randall soon has to leave Boston
though, leaving Jacky alone after Mam'selle leaves back for New Orleans. Gully strikes Jacky after an act goes wrong, in response Jacky hands him to a navy press-gang and holds on to the lady lenore until they meet again.
Amy soon turns against Jacky for a little while when Jacky gets drunk and disgraces her home. Her father hires two men to bring her back but they sell her to Reverend Mather instead. Mather is convinced Jacky is a spirit of Janey, back to haunt Mather or try to. Mather tells his Grand-father, a Puritan
minister before him that Janey shall be dead and that he promises the punishment he didn't offer the first time. Mather tries to rape
Jacky but Ephraim comes for her and knocks the Reverend out. He helps Jacky escape Mather's house and goes to the school to find it in flames. Mistress Pimm is nowhere in sight so Jacky concludes she was trapped trying to save her precious needlework. She goes into the building to save Mistress Pimm and she does.
Pimm is thankful but Constable Wiggins, who was on Thwackham's side convinced Jacky was a whore tries to catch Jacky with Dobbs but Jacky gets on her horse acquired from her class, Gretchen, and they ride out of Boston
.and jacky gives her horse gretchen to a young girl and gets aboard another ship to london
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
by L.A. Meyer
Louis A. Meyer
Louis A. Meyer Meyer, L.A. , brief autobiography on author's own webpage. Accessed February 25, 2009. writes under the name L.A. Meyer. He is best known as the author of the Bloody Jack seafaring novels. He is also a painter....
. It continues the story of orphaned London girl, Jacky Faber, in the 18th century. The story began in Bloody Jack, and continues in Under the Jolly Roger
Under the Jolly Roger
Under the Jolly Roger is a young adult historical fiction novel set in the early 19th century. It is the third book in a series by L.A. Meyer. The story began in Bloody Jack and Curse of the Blue Tattoo and continues in In the Belly of the Bloodhound, Mississippi Jack, My Bonny Light Horseman,...
, In the Belly of the Bloodhound
In the Belly of the Bloodhound
In the Belly of the Bloodhound is a historical novel written by L.A. Meyer surrounding the adventures of a young girl named Jacky Faber, alias Bloody Jack, set in the early 19th century...
, Mississippi Jack
Mississippi Jack
Mississippi Jack is the fifth book in the critically acclaimed Bloody Jack book series. The Boody Jack series begins with Bloody Jack, Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, In the Belly of the Bloodhound, and continues with My Bonny Light Horseman, Rapture of the Deep, and The Wake of...
, My Bonny Light Horseman
My Bonny Light Horseman
My Bonny Light Horseman is the sixth novel in L. A. Meyer's series Bloody Jack. The series begins with Bloody Jack, Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, In the Belly of the Bloodhound , Mississippi Jack and is followed by Rapture of the Deep , and The Wake of the Lorelei Lee.-Plot...
, Rapture of the Deep
Rapture of the Deep (novel)
Rapture of the Deep is the seventh book in the critically acclaimed Bloody Jack book series. The Bloody Jack series begins with Bloody Jack , Curse of the Blue Tattoo , Under the Jolly Roger , In the Belly of the Bloodhound , Mississippi Jack , My Bonny Light Horseman , and is continued with The...
, The Wake of the Lorelei Lee
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is a historical novel by L.A. Meyer. The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is the 8th book in the Bloody Jack series...
, and The Mark of the Golden Dragon
The Mark of the Golden Dragon
The Mark of the Golden Dragon is a historical fiction novel by L.A. Meyer. It was published on September 2011.The Bloody Jack series begins with Bloody Jack, Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, In the Belly of the Bloodhound, Mississippi Jack, My Bonny Light Horseman, Rapture of the...
.
Plot introduction
After being found out as a girl at the end of the first book, Jacky is sent to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. It is hoped that she will be trained in the ways of high society.
Explanation of the novel's title
Curse of the Blue Tattoo refers to the tattoo that Jacky received while a ship's boy.The tattoo is of a blue anchor on her right hipbone. Throughout the novel, it is confused with a pitchfork and gives her a bit of trouble.
Plot summary
Jacky Faber has just gotten off from being on the Seven Seas fighting notorious pirates and other goons on the 'Dolphin.' At the end of the first book, she is found out to be a girl and since ship codes say that a girl is not to work on a ship or be on one, she is delivered to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
by the uptight Professor Tilden. She is forced to leave her sea dad, Liam Delaney, and her ships boys including the boy she loves, James Emerson Fletcher.
When they get to the school, Jacky is introduced to Mistress Miranda Pimm. She is seen as a very strict and unforgiving lady, soon lashing at Jacky for her wild and outrageous clothing style such as the gold hoop earing that her and Jaimy exchanged. Mistress Pimm can't get any satisfaction or respect so she has her cronie assistant Dobbs come and take off her unsuitable jewelry by force. After their initial meeting, Jacky is sent to meet the other girls.
She finds them very different but takes up with one Amy Trevelyne, a bit of an outcast amongst the girls. Amy is from around the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
/New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
area and has a brother that is a renowned womanizer. She is instantly an enemy of the spoiled Clarissa Worthington Howe. She is the leader of all the popular girls in the school and soon Jacky cannot take this different attitude
displayed by Clarissa and fights her, both leaving considerable bruises and marks on each other.
She takes a horse riding class, an art class, an embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
class, a class in French and an etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
class. On Sunday mornings, the girls go to a church off in a desolate area of the school-grounds inhabited by one Reverend Mather. Rather than the preacher that the Deacon was for Jacky aboard the 'Dolphin', Mather is a bit of an unusual man and Jacky soon finds out why.
While Amy and Jacky are walking through the graveyard by the church between classes, Jacky spots a man looking through the window of an old shed at the two girls. Jacky is creeped out and as they noticed an unmarked grave, they leave in a hurry.
After Jacky is engaged in a fight with Clarissa, Mistress Pimm whips them both on their legs, and Clarrisa is shocked that she is actually getting punished. Jacky is right about Mather as she finds him to be more than a typical "fire-and-brimstone" preacher. And she thinks he has something to do with the unmarked grave, so she intends to find out nonetheless.
But after deciding to skip class and roam the streets of Boston, Jacky winds up in the port playing her pennywhistle. Some sailors hear her, and they and she begin to dance. However, her shipman's dancing doesn't pass muster in the streets of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and when a lisping constable comes across her showing her knees to men, she is imprisoned for lewd and lascivious acts. Jacky meets the "lady of the night" prostitute Mam'selle Claudelle de Bour-bon of the New Orleans Bour-bons.
She finds Mam'selle to be a bit crazy (her sexual orientation is questionable) but she takes up with Jacky calling her delicate names like 'Precious' and others. Soon after time in jail, Jacky is seen before the feared Judge Thwackham. All is going well, for her lawyer is an excellent one. But when the constable produces her shiv
Shiv
The word Shiv or shiv may refer to:* Shiv , a type of sharp weapon* Shiva, a Hindu deity* A fictional location in Magic: The Gathering, see Dominaria* Shiv, a villain in the animated series Static Shock...
, which is a knife, as evidence to her impropriety, it seems all is lost. Jacky falls to her knees in quite a display of innocent weeping, in which she, quite luckily, mentions the name of Miss Pimm. The judge and his jury are delighted that they have finally got one of "Pimm's girls" in their court, as they have fussy wives and daughters that are very proud of the fact that this has never happened. They are so tickled that they let Jacky off with suspended punishment, confident that the horrified Pimm will do enough.
Jacky's lawyer, Ezra, returns Jacky back to the school and before Mistress. Instead of whipping Jacky, she expels Jacky from the school but keeps her to work for the cooks and maids. This horrifies and embarrasses her terribly, but it works out well, because she finally meets some nice girls; the serving maids. They grow a great friendship. But before this happens, Jacky must visit Mather to discuss her behavior in Boston. Jacky is shocked when he lashes out, calling her a whore and a minion of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. Mather is about to whip Jacky, but she fights back, telling him he has no right, and finally running out on a shocked Mather after warning him she has a lawyer.
She goes to see Ezra one day and talks about Mather. Ezra says that one year ago, a girl by the name of Janey Porter who worked for Mather was found hung in her bedroom from a bedpost (Jacky finds it impossible but Ezra tells her otherwise) and that she died while pregnant. Ephriam Fyffe, Janey's love interest, also explains that Janey Porter was pregnant but it was not his child, though he said he would have raised it as his own. He says that many found her death surprising, as she was generally a cheerful girl. Jacky is convinced Janey did not die from suicide and consults with her friend, Ephriam Fyffe. He confirms that Janey was a very happy girl until the last month of her life, even through the most of her pregnancy. This gives Jacky more to investigate and she finds the Reverend walks the graveyard by night, recalling the events as if he was talking to the spirit of Janey. Jacky sees this a state of mental paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and conviction.
She is convinced the Reverend Mather killed Janey Porter. She has Amy sneak out and watch the Reverend for herself before they go and tell Ezra and Ephriam about it. Ezra sees it possible now to press charges against the minister. During the time of being a maid, Jacky writes letters back and forth to Jaimy even though a couple were intercepted by Mistress Pimm. She runs with the Mam'selle and a drunk artist by the nickname of Gully, he plays a violin named Lady Lenore and they perform in Boston's taverns. She tries and haunts the paranoid Mather by imitating the voice of the ghost of Janey Porter. It succeeds and causes Mather to lose sleep.
She meets back up with Davy from the 'Dolphin' but only for a brief time and she meets Randall Trevelyne, Amy's womanizing brother. A bit of a friendship ensues and a brief, harmless relationship too. Randall soon has to leave Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
though, leaving Jacky alone after Mam'selle leaves back for New Orleans. Gully strikes Jacky after an act goes wrong, in response Jacky hands him to a navy press-gang and holds on to the lady lenore until they meet again.
Amy soon turns against Jacky for a little while when Jacky gets drunk and disgraces her home. Her father hires two men to bring her back but they sell her to Reverend Mather instead. Mather is convinced Jacky is a spirit of Janey, back to haunt Mather or try to. Mather tells his Grand-father, a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
minister before him that Janey shall be dead and that he promises the punishment he didn't offer the first time. Mather tries to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
Jacky but Ephraim comes for her and knocks the Reverend out. He helps Jacky escape Mather's house and goes to the school to find it in flames. Mistress Pimm is nowhere in sight so Jacky concludes she was trapped trying to save her precious needlework. She goes into the building to save Mistress Pimm and she does.
Pimm is thankful but Constable Wiggins, who was on Thwackham's side convinced Jacky was a whore tries to catch Jacky with Dobbs but Jacky gets on her horse acquired from her class, Gretchen, and they ride out of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.and jacky gives her horse gretchen to a young girl and gets aboard another ship to london
Characters in "Curse of the Blue Tattoo"
- Mary 'Jacky' Faber: The main protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the story. She came from a fairly well-off family who died in an epidemic. Homeless and penniless, she joined Rooster Charlie's gang, and lived under a bridge for several years, begging and thieving for mere survival. After Charlie is killed, she enlisted with the crew of the H.M.S. Dolphin, under the ruse of being a boy. When she was revealed to be a girl, she was sent to a boarding school in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. - James 'Jaimy' Emerson Fletcher: A former ship's boy, now a midshipman and Jacky's true love. They write several letters to one another.
- Mistress Miranda Pimm: The stern headmistress of the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls. She takes a disliking for Jacky but deals with her ways nonetheless. She develops a slow liking as the book progresses. Especially after Jacky saves the Mistress from the fire that engulfs the school.
- Reverend Richard Mather: The PuritanPuritanThe Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
minister that preachs for the school. A silent man; very demented. A year before Jacky came to the school, he murdered a young girl by the name of Janey Porter because of being an alleged witch. He thinks the same of Jacky, thus instantly disliking her and attempts to kill her. - Ephraim Fyffe: A young man who was engaged to marry Janey Porter before she died. He helps Jacky investigate the Reverend and the murder.
- Amy Trevelyne: A plump, likeable PuritanPuritanThe Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
girl that takes up with Jacky instantly. - Clarissa Worthington Howe: A rude, snobbish girl from a rich Southern family. A typical Southern belle, she and Jacky hate each other at first sight.
- Davy: A friend of Jacky's from the 'Dolphin' days.
- Randall Trevelyne: Amy's womanizing older brother. Jacky develops a relationship with Randall but it's nothing to go against her dating Jaimy.
- Mam'selle Claudelle de Bourbon: A CajunCajunCajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
prostitute from New Orleans. She befriends Jacky instead; naming her pet names like "Precious" and all. - Gulliver "Gully" McFarland: A drunkard that plays a violin called the Lady Lenore. In Jacky's freetime, they perform in the taverns of Boston.
- Ezra Pickering: Jacky's trustworthy and charismatic lawyer. Jacky, Amy and Ephriam help him find out what's going on with the Reverend Mather.
- Judge Thwackham: The snobby judge that runs a biased courtroom, not by sense of justice.
- Constable John Wiggins: The horrible man that runs the Boston city jail.
- Dobbs: Mistress Pimm's crabby little cronie.