Ahoy Me Matey

"Suddenly Elizabeth stepped forward and most competently boarded the omnibus, in front of everybody. She took a seat on top. The impetuous creature-a pirate-started forward, sprang away. she had to hold the rail to steady herself, for a pirate it was, reckless, unscrupulous, bearing down ruthlessly, circumventing dangerously, boldly snatching a passenger, or ignoring a passenger, squeezing eel-like and arrogant in between, and then rushing insolently all sails spread up Whitehall. And did Elizabeth give one thought to poor Miss Kilman who loved her without jealousy, to whom she had been a fawn in the open, a moon in a glade? She was delighted to be free. The fresh air was so delicious. It had been so stuffy in the Army and Navy stores. And now it was like riding, to be rushing up Whitehall; and to each movement of the omnibus the beautiful body in the fawn-coloured coat responded freely like a rider, like the figure-head of a ship, for the breezy slightly disarrayed her; the heat gave her cheeks the pallor of white painted wood; and her fine eyes, having no eyes to meet, gazed ahead, blank, bright, with the staring incredible innocence of sculpture" (135).



    Elizabeth, being a yee little lad, is constantly surrounded by older people. By coming from wealth, she's expected to act classy and mature. However, her trip on the omnibus reveals her hungarrrr for adventarrrre. She describes the bus as being a pirate, yet it acts more of a pirate ship, "rushing up Whitehall." With Miss Kilman almost forcing her love onto Elizabeth, Elizabeth just desperately wishes to be free. She's almost living a double life; on the outside she lives a rich, civilized life, yet she desiarrrrrs for freedom and adventure. Avast ye, Elizabeth describes the fresh airrrrrrr as being "delicious," so freedom itself is what sustains her, Savvy? Shiver me timbers! By living a life of multiplicity, the lassie feels isolated, "having no eyes to meet"-almost as if she's trapped in Davy Jones' Locker. Being a pirate is generally seen as a manly occupation, yet Elizabeth wants to batten down the hatch and be free like a pirate. She doesn't carrrre about society's gender roles, but rather what her harrrrrt desires. Therefore she represents the "incredible innocence" that once existed within every person.

    So in a time like today, we should not allow society to kill our inner pirate. Arrrrggghhh! Fight for freedom, fight for justice! Don't let anyone tell you you can't.