From a historical point of view, one of the chief conflicts in Kidnapped is that David Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart are from different parts of Scotland and hold opposing political beliefs. David is a Lowlander with loyalist sympathies, while Alan is a Jacobite with a price on his head for aiding the cause of the Stuarts in their endeavor to seize the throne of England. At the time of the story, 1751, sentiments on both sides of the issue ran high. From a social standpoint, these two characters have lived very different lives. David comes from the small community of Essendean, among common folk; Alan, however, has traveled widely and consorted with persons of all levels of society.

One important social revelation in the novel is the high sense of honor among people of but modest rank. In the Highlands, where Alan is from, the people...