Sailor Off the Bremen by Irwin Shaw
"Sailor Off the Bremen" by Irwin Shaw is a narrative that explores themes of injury, revenge, and ideological commitment within the context of a communist demonstration aboard the ocean liner Bremen. The story centers on Ernest, an artist who is severely beaten by Lueger, a German steward, resulting in significant physical disfigurement. As Ernest recovers, his family and friends gather to hear details from Preminger, a communist deck officer who witnessed the attack. Despite pressure from his brother Charley and his wife Sally to seek vengeance against Lueger, Ernest remains steadfast in his belief that retaliation would be futile.
The plot thickens as Charley and Sally devise a plan to ambush Lueger by using Sally as bait, but Sally grapples with her conscience, reflecting on Lueger's humanity. The narrative culminates in a brutal confrontation, highlighting the complexities of morality and vengeance. The ending reveals a layer of dramatic irony as Preminger’s flippant remark about Lueger's fate underscores the story's exploration of the consequences of violence and the cyclical nature of retribution. This work delves into personal and political conflicts, making it a poignant examination of human relationships against a backdrop of social struggle.
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Sailor Off the Bremen by Irwin Shaw
First published: 1939
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The 1930's
Locale: New York City
Principal Characters:
Ernest , an artist and a communistSally , his wifeCharley , his brotherLueger , a steward on the linerBremen Preminger , a communist deck officer
The Story
Ernest, an artist, is beaten and disfigured (losing an eye and his front teeth) when he participates in a communist demonstration aboard the ocean liner Bremen. As the story opens, his friends and family gather in his kitchen to hear Preminger, a communist deck officer aboard the Bremen (and a witness to the incident), explain what happened. Ernest's brother, Charley, a college football player, decides to take revenge on Lueger, the German steward who beat Ernest. Ernest, however, despite his injuries, remains committed to the communist ideal and objects on the grounds that taking revenge on Lueger will serve no purpose.
Ernest is overruled by Charley and by his wife, Sally, and they tell him to leave the room while they plot against Lueger. They decide to lure him to the waiting Charley by using Sally as bait. She is to let him pick her up and to pretend to bring him home with her, and Charley is to ambush him in the street.
When the Bremen returns to New York City, Sally is briefed over and over on the plan. Lueger takes Sally to see a film and then is concerned only with reaching her apartment (she has told him she lives alone), but she stalls him with the offer of drinks to keep the original plan on schedule. She begins to have second thoughts about delivering Lueger and almost backs out completely because, even though she hates him, he is "a human being and thoughtless and unsuspecting and because her heart was softer than she had thought." Lueger chooses this moment, however, to hurt her, and she is strengthened in her resolve to carry out the plot. Lueger is taken completely by surprise, and Charley is extremely savage in his treatment of Lueger, almost killing him with his bare hands.
The last scene is tinged with irony, as Preminger, who identified Lueger as Ernest's assailant in the story's opening scene and later pointed out the steward to Charley, must make another identification, this time to the staff at the hospital where Lueger is taken and to the detective who is investigating the incident. In a masterpiece of dramatic irony, Preminger offers a pat explanation for Lueger's fate: "You must be very careful in a strange city."