At first glance, "Youth" seems to be mainly concerned with the efforts of an elderly captain on his first command and the struggles of his officers and crew as they attempt to take the Judea, an old, unreliable ship afflicted by misfortune, on a voyage taking coal from England to Bangkok. Through Herculean efforts, they confront nearly every conceivable setback and overcome it. But despite their dogged determination, they are finally forced to abandon the Judea when its cargo catches fire and the conflagration consumes much of the ship; they are obliged to leave the vessel in longboats and row to a safe haven on the Dutch East Indies. Hence, one question raised by the story is whether even heroic effort has any value when the equipment used is inadequate.

Because the Judea is old, the owner is obliged, after a disastrous trip from London to...