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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in News of the World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fatherhood and Masculinity
American Multiculturalism and Racial Violence
News and Storytelling
Childhood and Innocence
War and Reconstruction
Summary
Analysis
That day Captain Kidd and Johanna travel down a long, exposed road, eventually stopping at an empty campsite to eat roast chicken. The Captain dreams that a terrible man is rising out of the river to follow him. He’s familiar with these dreams, which come after any conflict that reminds him of his time in battle. He wonders if it’s these kinds of recurring memories that traumatize the captive children forever.
In articulating his thoughts on war, Captain Kidd always stresses the satisfaction he’s derived from serving in the military. However, his dreams (which seem to be recurring) suggest that his time in the army has actually had profound psychological effects.
Themes
The next day they drive for 20 miles. Johanna learns to count to 100, tie her shoes, and sing some folk songs. Full of energy, she runs alongside the wagon dancing Kiowa children’s dances. Along the way, they pass an army company who warn them about raiders in the hills. Captain Kidd asks sharply why the army doesn’t do anything about the raiders.
The Captain’s sharp retort emphasizes the army’s inability to carry out its primary task: keeping civilians safe. Coming on the heels of his nightmare, this suggests his dwindling faith in military presence as a means of getting things done.
Themes
By the time they reach the outskirts of Lampasas, Captain Kidd feels recovered and in good spirits. He once traveled up this road to North Texas after Maria Luisa’s death. He remembers the houses of San Antonio with their ornate balconies, modeled after traditional Spanish dwellings just as the owners kept careful records of their descent from original settlers. He remembers rowing on the river with his wife and two daughters. But the beautiful town is meaningless to him without his wife’s presence. Johanna begins singing “Hard Times” in her strange accent.
The juxtaposition of European architecture and the Texas frontier landscape is a reminder of the many cultural influences integral to the formation of American culture. It’s interesting that Captain Kidd is reflecting more frankly on his wife and the grief he feels about her death. Perhaps the work of interpreting Johanna’s emotions helps him address his own.
Themes
After some time, they meet an elderly lady traveling the opposite direction in a small gig. She informs them that she’s going to Durand, despite the danger, in order to file a lawsuit. Captain Kidd gives her some coins to compensate the broom mill owner for his chickens. The old woman says he’s “an animal” and deserves to be robbed, but the Captain insists. Before leaving, she asks if Johanna is “disturbed in the mind.”
The friendly woman’s comment seems blunt but well-intentioned. However, her immediate ability to perceive that something about Johanna is different foreshadows the difficulty with which Johanna will eventually have to assimilate into Anglo-American society.
Themes
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Wary of Native American raids, Captain Kidd rides his horse rather than sitting in the wagon. He’s also concerned about entering Lampasas, which is dominated by a decades-long feud between two families. But he sees many others heading into town, presumably for a market, and in the lovely spring weather the countryside looks surprisingly beautiful.
The juxtaposition of tranquil small-town life and dangerous raids is a reminder that indigenous people have been dispossessed of their lands in order for settlers on the Texas frontier to thrive.
Themes
As they near the town, Captain Kidd and Johanna meet a group of four men riding horses. The Captain pulls up the horses and Johanna disappears into the bag of the wagon. Then men ask where the Captain is coming from and going; he coolly informs them and asks by what authority they’re blocking his road. They don’t seem to know themselves. One of the men recognizes him as a news-reader and advises him to stay away from the tavern frequented by the Horrell brothers, who fancy themselves cowboys and are convinced that the Eastern newspapers should write about them. If Captain Kidd does a reading, the brothers will demand he discuss them.
Once again, access to a town is controlled by unsanctioned bands of young men. Even worse, it appears that a feud is flourishing in the absence of government intervention. It’s ironic that while Captain Kidd once saw himself as a bearer of peace through news, now the very fact that he’s a newsreader makes him vulnerable and in need of protection.
Themes
In fact, the men say that they ran into the elderly lady in her gig, who told them that a news-reader was riding into town, and they’ve come specifically to warn Captain Kidd. The Captain asks if the Horrell brothers will mind if he reads about England, and one of them responds that “the Horrells don’t know there is an England.” The Captain realizes he can’t do a reading at all, and says that after he and Johanna get some rest they will leave Lampasas immediately. He’s astonished that he’s survived the War of 1812 simply to ride through these godforsaken places—and even more so to find himself so happy about it.
The young man’s comment on the Horrell brothers’ intelligence (or lack thereof) makes an explicit connection between ignorance and violent, intolerant behavior. Captain Kidd’s rueful remark on his army service reminds the reader that the successive wars he’s lived through have done little to democratize or enlighten his society.
Themes
