The Coral Island

"The Coral Island" is an excellent example of a Victorian period adventure novel. R.M Ballantyne writes as though it is autobiographical, despite the fact that while his narrator is a 15 year old in the south Pacific, Ballantyne spent his teen years in Canada, working for the Hudson Bay Company. "The Coral Island" demonstrates the typical aristocratic view of naive, innocent Christian young men. Although stranded due to a ship wreck, the three boys of the coral island are ever optimists and feel that being ship wrecked was the best thing that could happen to them. Through the eldest boy's book knowledge of the south pacific, they are able to harvest edible plants, hunt pigs, build shelter, a boat and an aquarium (that's right, they had a coral reef to swim in but they build an aquarium to satisfy their curiosity of natural history). Among the narrators adventures included aiding a band of cannibals defeat their attackers, being abducted by pirates, observing many cannibalistic human sacrifices, thwarting those same pirates and stealing their schooner, and saving a lovely Samoan girl from the heathen cannibals that they had earlier helped so that she can marry her true love and follow Christianity. Throughout all of this, he reflects fondly and at considerable length on the benefits that the missionaries bestowed upon the islands as soon as the gospel was introduced. Of course, absolutely no mention was made to lust throughout the whole book, despite the fact that these were three teenage boys, and they encounter topless Polynesian young women.
By the way, the narrator also regrets having not thought to bring his bible with him while their ship was initially being smashed on the reef. Did I mention that the boys were saved from certain death by a hurricane that blew a white missionary to the island where they were being held captive by the cannibals. Naturally a pacific islander couldn't do the job in over a year, but a white guy lands on the island and converts everyone in a couple of weeks. Not only that, but the ending was quite abrupt, having been saved as I mentioned before and not mentioning anything past their taking leave of the newly CHRISTIAN natives. I would have liked some mention of how three kids with no money and a schooner that they piloted themselves picked up a crew and got back to England, but alas, the writer is long dead, and with Christ, so I can't exactly write him and ask for a second edition. Furthermore, like this blog, the start of the book was ok, but by the end, the constant praise of CHRISTIANITY became overwhelming and annoying. Christianity, Christianity, Christianity.