Capture The Flag

The flag at the center of Capture the Flag inspired Francis Scott Key to write the “Star-Spangled Banner,” which would become the United States’ anthem and the flag’s nickname. References to many historical figures abound throughout the novel, which hinges on the idea that the preservation of historic art and artifacts is essential for understanding personal heritage and national identity. The flag itself, which is kept at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, was raised over Fort McHenry in 1814 as a sign of the US victory in the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. According to the Smithsonian’s website, the flag currently measures 30x34 feet in size but was originally 30x42 feet. Respect for the flag’s storied history is explicit from the novel’s first chapter, and Messner provides context for readers about how the flag got smaller over time: “[T]he flaws are part of her history. The bits of stripes were cut away over the years and tucked into caskets by the widows of Fort McHenry’s heroes. The star there [... is rumored to be] buried with Lincoln,” (6). Messner also provides information about George Armistead, who commissioned the flag, and about Mary Pickersgill, who sewed the flag “assisted by her daughter, two nieces, and an indentured African-American girl” named Grace Wisher (“Quick Facts About the Star-Spangled Banner.” Smithsonian).

The fictional descendants of Pickersgill and Wisher— Claude Pickersgill and Henry Thorn respectively—become key characters in Capture the Flag and play an active role in the flag’s recovery. Pickersgill shares the surname of his ancestor, whose portrait is hung in the museum and whose name is associated with the Pickersgill Diner in the novel. However, Henry doesn’t even know he has a famous ancestor at the start of the novel since she’s not as well-known, and there is no portrait of her to hang in the Smithsonian. As the indentured daughter of a free African American woman, little is known about Wisher’s life beyond her apprenticeship with Mary Pickersgill. According to the National Park Service, “[W]hat happened to Grace after her indenture remains unknown, but what is known, is that Grace Wisher’s contribution to the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner flag deserves to be highlighted as part of its history” (“Grace Wisher.” National Park Service). Messner echoes this sentiment in the novel when Henry says, “[S]he ought to have her portrait in the museum, too, instead of Mary getting all the credit” (226). Through the two descendants of the flag’s makers and the different degrees to which they can trace their heritage, the novel poses questions about how histories are told, who gets to tell them, and who is excluded. Messner’s narrative argues that historical figures, no matter how significant, can only be remembered by the people and artifacts they leave behind.

The fictional character with perhaps the best-known ancestor in the novel is Anna Revere-Hobbes—a descendant of Paul Revere, “the midnight ride guy” and silversmith who played a central role in the American Revolution (30). Revere took part in the Boston Tea Party, created the famous engraving of the Boston Massacre that inflamed patriotic zeal, and warned the colonist rebels about British troop movements. According to Paul Revere’s Ride by David Hackett Fischer, Revere was a community-minded leader willing to take on risky tasks—similar to Messner’s characterization of Anna in the novel. As the novel’s main character, Anna brings the other characters together, and her most willing accomplice is José McGilligan. José’s famous ancestor is Frida Kahlo, an early-20th-century Mexican artist who painted vibrant self-portraits. The similarities between José and Kahlo are less explicit, though his appreciation for famous quotations from a broad range of times and cultures calls to mind themes present in Kahlo’s artwork, which explores questions about identity, heritage, and society. Like José, Kahlo was the child of a white father and a Mexican mother. As an artist, she is known for her pride in the nature, history, and artifacts of Mexico; José mirrors this pride when he references his “ancestors in Central America, going way, way back, [who] were some of the founders” of the Silver Jaguar Society (31). The historical figures associated with Henry, Anna, and José demonstrate The Need to Protect Artifacts that Shape Understanding of the Past by people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.