Speech as Action

While there is plenty of physical action throughout the novel, such as dueling, hijacking, fleeing, etc., the most frequently used action is actually speech. Much of the story’s narrative and thematic content is conveyed via speech, and philosophical argument and discourse prove far sharper than the sword as MacIan and Turnbull go about their journey. While they do engage in several duels with one another, these fights are in no way constructive or help them grow as characters. The true moments of growth are experienced when the two men actually sit down and have a conversation or argument with one another. It is only through discourse that they are able to understand one another’s worldview and create balance within their own.

One of the most prominent cases of speech as action comes in Chapter 8, suitably entitled “An Interlude of Argument.” Unlike any...