Augustus Barnard
Pym's friend, the captain's son, whose help makes the secret voyage possible.
He wants Pym to share the voyage and later tries to keep him alive without revealing his hiding place.
The book
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeAugustus has more sailing experience than Pym and knows how to make it sound irresistible. Once the Grampus is seized, he must protect his friend while surviving as a prisoner himself.
How the book draws them
- An unreliable guide at seaIn Chapter I, Augustus insists on a nighttime excursion and appears composed before becoming helplessly drunk. Pym must try to manage the boat and secure his unconscious friend.
- Planning the hidden passageIn Chapter II, Augustus prepares Pym's concealed space and supplies aboard the Grampus. He explains the route between the hold and his stateroom.
- Keeping his friend's secretIn Chapter IV, Augustus considers telling the mutineers that Pym is aboard. The violence he has seen stops him, and he waits for a chance to reach the hold himself.
- Taking a dangerous watchAt the end of Chapter VII, Augustus stands where the mutineers' lookout had stood. His position helps conceal the preparations for Pym's disguise below deck.
- Joining the desperate proposalIn Chapter XII, Augustus supports drawing lots to decide who will die to feed the others. His agreement defeats Pym's hope that his closest friend will help resist the plan.
- Wounds that the survivors cannot treatChapter XIII records his arm deteriorating, thirst increasing, and strength failing. Pym and Peters increase his water ration but cannot save him.
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