James Fenimore Cooper

Afloat and Ashore James Fenimore Cooper

Afloat and Ashore is a nautical fiction novel by James Fenimore Cooper first published in 1844. Set in 1796-1804, the novel follows the maritime adventures of Miles Wallingford Jr., the son of wealthy New York landowners who chooses to go to see after the death of his parents. The novel ends abruptly part way through, and is followed by what critic Harold D. Langely called a "necessary" sequel Miles Wallingford, which resolves many thematic and plot elements. The novel is partially autobiographical, in part by Cooper's own experiences as a sailor, and is his first full-length novel to fully employ a first-person narrative. Thematically, the novel focuses on the challenging relationship between Miles and Neb, a runaway slave who stows away aboard the ship and only is left unpunished when Miles claims him as his own slave. The two become close allies aboard the ship, but the racial and power differences between Miles, who becomes a petty officer aboard the vessel, and Neb, who is confined to the role of regular seaman.