37 pages • 1 hour read
Rodman PhilbrickThe Young Man and the Sea
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 12-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 12 Summary: “Rich Boy in the Dark of Night”
Skiff assumes Tyler will cut the lobster traps closest to his house next. He heads toward Tyler’s house, which is in a more expensive part of town. He is especially offended that Tyler cut his traps because he probably doesn’t understand how valuable they are. Tyler pulls out of his dock on a Boston Whaler boat called the Boy Toy; Skiff follows. He sees Tyler doing something in the dark, so he crashes their boats. He demands Tyler pay for his lost traps. Tyler says Skiff can’t prove anything, that nobody will believe his claim anyway. This infuriates Skiff because he thinks Tyler is correct. He asks Tyler why he cut the traps, but Tyler calls him a loser and leaves. Skiff’s motor won’t start, so he rows home all night.
Chapter 13 Summary: “When You Wake Up”
Skiff’s father is waiting for him, so Skiff tells him about Tyler cutting the lobster traps. He asks his father to call Tyler’s father Jack and report the theft, but Skiff Sr. says he’ll think about it—which means he’s not going to do it. An angry Skiff checks on the Mary Rose, but worries his efforts are for naught. He fixes his skiff’s motor and visits Mr. Woodwell. Captain Keelson is with Mr. Woodwell, as the men are about to fix a broken oar. However, they ask Skiff to tell them what’s wrong. He reluctantly tells them about Tyler, but since there’s history between Skiff Sr. and Jack, Mr. Woodwell and Captain Keelson don’t want to get involved. Skiff’s disappointed because he felt pressured to talk, but the men won’t help him.
Chapter 14 Summary: “By Hook and By Crook”
Skiff spends a few weeks searching for his lost lobster traps. He can’t find all of them but hopes to find at least half. Devlin suggests he rerelease the traps, but Skiff thinks there’s no point because Tyler will likely cut them again. Tyler and Parker appear to bully Skiff, then quickly leave. He doesn’t know why Tyler dislikes him, as this hatred started before their fathers’ feud.
One day, Skiff joins a crowd watching a man unload a giant bluefin tuna that he caught: It’s seven feet long and 400 pounds, like the ones that Skiff’s father used to catch. This is the man’s first tuna, and he claims luck helped him—in addition to his expensive boat and equipment. A buyer named Mr. Nagahachi, who sells fish to sushi makers in Tokyo, appears and offers the man $6,560 for the tuna. Skiff asks if Mr. Nagahachi will pay the same price for tuna caught in the upcoming days; he says price depends on quality. He then asks after Skiff’s father, once the best harpoon fisher. Skiff decides to catch a large, high-quality bluefin tuna himself.
Chapter 15 Summary: “Where the Big Fish Live”
With the money from a large, high-quality bluefin tuna, Skiff can fix the Mary Rose, buy a mountain bicycle like Tyler’s, a new vacuum, and other things. He coils some line in a tub and attaches a keg. To kill a tuna, fishermen use a harpoon tied to such a line; to reel in the fish, they pull on the keg. Skiff gets gas and bait, then fixes several peanut butter sandwiches. As his father sleeps, he leaves without notifying him. He takes the compass from the Mary Rose and travels by skiff, needing to go east about 30 miles to reach tuna territory.
Chapter 16 Summary: “The Blushing Bandit”
Before heading out to sea, Skiff stops by Mr. Woodwell’s boat-making shed to steal his father’s harpoon. He feels guilty, but can’t fish tuna without a harpoon and knows Mr. Woodwell would try to stop him because his mission is dangerous.
Chapters 12-16 Analysis
This section further develops The Necessity of Resilience, as Skiff becomes temporarily discouraged after Tyler cuts his lobster traps. His father, Mr. Woodwell, and Captain Keelson fail to help him with this problem due to the complex dynamics at play (like that between Skiff Sr. and Tyler’s father Jack). Skiff ultimately stops setting lobster traps because he realizes Tyler will probably continue interfering. He instead rethinks his plan to make money. He exhibits resilience and The Importance of Thinking Smart by deciding to catch one large, high-quality bluefin tuna. This plan is less tedious than spending the summer setting 200 lobster traps, but no less challenging. However, Skiff decides it’s worth trying even if he fails. Despite being the one who establishes routine between him and his father, he is also willing to try new things for their sake.
This section also further develops The Centrality of Family, as Skiff is concerned about his father and takes advice from both parents to care for him. Skiff uses his father’s skiff and harpoon to complete his mission, despite the small boat being unequipped for tuna fishing. Besides these things, he uses his father’s swamper lineage and knowledge as guidance. He is trying to help his father by catching tuna, but is helped by his father’s tools along the way. The idea of family is complicated when Skiff steals his father’s harpoon from Mr. Woodwell. This is a betrayal of Mr. Woodwell’s kindness and his relationship with Skiff Sr., but Skiff expresses guilt and does repent by the end of the novel.
Related Titles
By Rodman Philbrick
