The Mutineers by Richard Armstrong
"The Mutineers" by Richard Armstrong is a novel that explores the psychological and social dynamics among a group of teenage boys who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after mutinying during a voyage to Australia. The characters, aged sixteen to eighteen, initially seek adventure but soon grapple with the consequences of their rebellion. As they navigate their new environment, they discover remnants of a previous civilization, including massive statues reminiscent of those on Easter Island, which become central to the unfolding drama.
Tensions rise as Chick, a dominant figure among the boys, attempts to establish control through intimidation and violence, leading to conflicts over leadership and power. The story's climax features a chaotic ceremony where Chick’s desire for dominance culminates in the destruction of the statues, triggering catastrophic consequences for the group. Unlike William Golding's "Lord of the Flies," which offers a darker view of humanity, "The Mutineers" ultimately presents a more optimistic perspective, emphasizing themes of compassion, responsibility, and the potential for redemption through connection and cooperation. As the characters confront their inner struggles, the story reflects on the complexities of human nature and the choices that define their survival.
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The Mutineers by Richard Armstrong
First published: 1968; illustrated
Type of work: Adventure tale
Themes: Friendship and social issues
Time of work: The mid-twentieth century
Recommended Ages: 13-15
Locale: An island near Tahiti
Principal Characters:
John Stubbs (Stubby) , a loner who wants freedom, including freedom from responsibility for othersWilliam Hinshelwood (Chick) , a cruel, calculating, power-hungry boyHenry Bolton (Bo-Bo) , an intelligent, ineffectual boyJacob (Jake) Cole , a good-looking, musical boyJohn Seymour (Johnny) , a stupid, violent boyJoseph Young (Youngie) , a cruel, tough, physically strong boy
The Story
The plot and setting of The Mutineers are reminiscent of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1954). In both stories, a group of young boys is marooned on an island. In The Mutineers, the boys are sixteen-to eighteen-year-old social misfits on their way to resettlement in Australia. They become bored with the long voyage and mutiny. Once the excitement of the mutiny passes, the boys realize the serious penalties they will face for it, and fifteen of them decide to abandon ship and hide on a small deserted island. Once they land, they quickly discover that the island was once inhabited. Not only are there the ruins of a village, but there are also some traces of gold and jewelry, and most impressive of all, there are hundreds of huge statues (similar to those found on Easter Island).
Tensions begin to build. Chick (William Hinshelwood) asserts control by physically hurting Johnny (John Seymour) and revealing a loaded gun. The rest of the boys, wishing to avoid conflict, agree to Chick’s leadership until the immediate danger of being discovered by a search patrol passes. After that, they agree, no one will be in command. After several days of hiding out on the top of a crater, they spot the expected patrol boat. It briefly stops on the island and then leaves, indicating that the captain has decided that the boys are not there.
The boys divide into four groups. One group goes into the caves to search for treasure. Another goes off to form a band and play music. Chick gathers the rest into a group, which he immediately begins turning into a slave camp. Stubby does not take Chick’s power plays seriously and goes off to find his desired freedom on another part of the island, where he spends his time repairing an old water wheel. As the story continues, all the boys, except for Stubby and Jake, become part of Chick’s group. Though Bo-Bo has seen the danger of Chick’s desire for power from the beginning, he is unable to do anything about it and is quickly reduced to being the lowest person in Chick’s camp. Jake becomes fanatical after his guitar is purposely destroyed by Youngie, and he and Stubby go into hiding together.
Chick, his power having pushed him beyond sanity, decides to have the other boys dig under one of the huge statues, bracing it up with wood as they dig, until the digging is large enough to undermine the support of the statue. Then, he plans to burn the wood braces, causing the statue to tumble and fall on the next statue, and the next statue on the next, and so on, creating a huge destructive act. Bo-Bo realizes that this act will be even more destructive than Chick thinks, because the falling statues will create a tremendous shock on the crater, probably cracking it open, possibly even causing the entire island to tumble and sink beneath the ocean, killing all.
At this point, his position and intelligence allow him to relay messages to some of the other boys and plan a rebellion against Chick. Though Stubby and Jake remain hidden, Bo-Bo is able to find them. When he tells them his plans, they decide to join in (though Stubby resists getting involved). The next morning, Stubby and Jake find a secluded place to wait for Bo-Bo’s rebellion. Bo-Bo, however, does not appear. Instead, Chick leads the other boys in a mad ceremony, filled with dancing, and the statue is toppled. In an impressive scene, the huge statues fall, one causing the next to collapse, until dozens, hundreds, of them are crashing to the crater floor. All the while, the boys dance. Then, the tremendous force of the tumbling statues causes the floor to crack. All the statues and the dancing boys, including Chick, are swallowed.
The island, however, remains. Stubby watches the massive destruction and is stunned. He realizes that he is alone. At the same time, he learns that he does not want to be alone. He comes to know that he is a part of humanity and is responsible for the actions of others. He sets off desperately to look for Jake and Bo-Bo. When he finds them, he learns that Bo-Bo was betrayed by Johnny and fell over an escarpment trying to escape, breaking his leg. Stubby takes control and sets Bo-Bo’s leg. Stubby, Jake, and Bo-Bo then build a raft and head back to civilization. They are shortly rescued by the same sloop that previously searched the island for them.
Context
As usual in his writing, Richard Armstrong draws on his experiences in the Merchant Navy and in this instance sets his story on an island near Tahiti. The island setting immediately ties the book in with other stories of boys stranded on an island, most notably Golding’s Lord of the Flies. In both stories, two of the boys are set against each other. Both stories have an ineffectual intellectual, and both have an overly sensitive boy. Both stories have a sadistic “muscle man” who serves the intelligent evil boy. In both stories, these major characters are surrounded by other boys, followers who eventually side with the savage antagonist, suggesting that beneath the veneer of civilization humans are destructive. Yet, whereas Lord of the Flies ends with the protagonist being saved by a war ship—suggesting that, indeed, humans beyond the island of boys are prone to violence—in The Mutineers Stubby saves himself, and the saving is accomplished only through his realization of the necessity for involvement, compassion, and the acceptance of responsibility. Thus, The Mutineers offers a brighter view of basic human nature.
The themes of corrupting power and the dark side of human nature in general, especially as they are represented in the character of Chick, also suggest comparisons with Kurtz, the man who faces the ultimate horror in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902), though Chick is not nearly as complex a character as Kurtz. Though critics have correctly noted the difficulty of believing the ease with which the mutiny is carried off, the ambitious and compelling story overcomes its flaws and offers an adventure filled with important expressions of social responsibility.