The Castaway by W. W. Jacobs (1843)
The story follows the life of a castaway, a sailor who is stranded on a desert island. He is alone, with no hope of rescue, and must learn to survive on his own. He builds a shelter, finds food, and learns to cope with the loneliness. One day, he finds a bottle washed up on the shore. Inside is a message from a woman, asking for help. The castaway is determined to find her, and sets off on a journey across the island. Along the way, he meets a variety of characters, including a mysterious old man, a giant bird, and a strange creature that lives in the sea. Eventually, the castaway finds the woman and rescues her from her captors. He returns to his island, and the two of them live happily ever after.
By W. W. Jacobs · First published 1843 · Genre: Adventure, Fiction, Humor · 4,475 words
First lines
Mrs. John Boxer stood at the door of the shop with her hands clasped on her apron. The short day had drawn to a close, and the lamps in the narrow little thorough-fares of Shinglesea were already lit. For a time she stood listening to the regular beat of the sea on the beach some half-mile distant, and then with a slight shiver stepped back into the shop and closed the door.
The little shop with its wide-mouthed bottles of sweets was one of her earliest memories. Until her marriage she had known no other home, and when her husband was lost with the _North Star_ some three years before, she gave up her home in Poplar and returned to assist her mother in the little shop.
What this Textopian page supports
The Castaway is listed on Textopian as a novel by W. W. Jacobs, dated 1843 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: W. W. Jacobs
- Date: 1843 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure, Fiction, Humor, Romance, Mystery
- Length: 4,475 words
- Structure: 1 section, 168 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Castaway by W. W. Jacobs
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Castaway?
- How does this novel by W. W. Jacobs fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Adventure first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Convert by W. W. Jacobs
- Homeward Bound by W. W. Jacobs
- Dixons Return by W. W. Jacobs
- The Head Of The Family by W. W. Jacobs
- The Bequest by W. W. Jacobs
- Establishing Relations by W. W. Jacobs
Genres
- Adventure — The story follows the protagonist's journey as he is stranded on an island and must find a way to survive.
- Fiction — The story is a work of fiction, as it is not based on real events.
- Humor — The story contains humorous elements, such as the protagonist's interactions with the island's inhabitants.
- Romance — The story contains a romantic element, as the protagonist falls in love with a woman on the island.
Tags
England · English · Fiction · Humorous stories · Sailors · Social life and customs · alive · arm · astrologer · boxer · continued · cried