The Eagle Cliff facts for kids

Robert Michael Ballantyne, the author of The Eagle Cliff

The Eagle Cliff is an exciting adventure novel. It was written in 1889 by Scottish author R.M. Ballantyne. When he was 16, Ballantyne traveled to Canada. He worked there for five years with the Hudson's Bay Company. This company traded furs with Native American people. His time in Canada inspired his first novel, The Young Fur Traders, published in 1856. That year, he became a full-time writer. He became famous for his adventure stories for young readers. His most popular book was The Coral Island, released in 1858.

Story Summary

The Eagle Cliff tells the story of a young man named John Barrett. He is a cyclist who rushes through London to meet a friend. On his way, he accidentally bumps into an older lady. Frightened, he rides away. But John feels guilty and returns to the spot. The lady and the crowd are gone.

John then meets his old school friend, Bob Mabberly. Bob has a yacht and plans to sail the next morning. John and another friend, Giles Jackman, join him. Soon after they set sail, disaster strikes! Their boat crashes into a steamer and breaks apart. The men swim towards a nearby island.

Once on the island, John explores and finds a small path. He discovers a hut among the rocks. He soon learns that the island is already home to many people. When his friends join him, they are happy to find fully working houses.

John meets a young girl named Milly. She has hurt her arm after falling from a cliff. John helps her, and they start to like each other. They both love plants, which is why Milly was near the cliff. This shared interest helps them become closer.

Meanwhile, the men go hunting and fishing. Milly writes to her mother about John, the man who saved her. Her mother starts to think highly of him. When Milly's mother, Mrs. Moss, arrives, John rushes to meet her. He almost knocks her over! It turns out she is the same lady he bumped into with his bicycle in London.

Mrs. Moss recognizes John as the cyclist. But she does not know his name is Barrett. Later, John falls from a cliff and gets hurt. When he is found, his injuries hide his identity from Mrs. Moss. After he heals, she discovers who he is. She forgives him, and John and Milly are able to get married.

Main Characters

• John Barrett: A young man who crashes on an island. He finds it is already home to friendly families. He meets Milly, who later becomes his wife. John loves plants and art more than hunting.
• Milly Moss: A young woman who lives on the island. John finds her after she falls from a cliff. She quickly becomes his love interest. Her interest in plants helps her and John connect.
• Bob Mabberly: An old school friend of John Barrett. He invites John to sail with him. He also joins John on the island.
• Giles Jackman: Another old school friend of John and Bob. He tells stories about hunting. He also leads church services when the minister is away.
• Junkie: A young boy on the island. He tries to be like the older men.
• Ivor Donaldson: A man on the island who used to struggle with drinking. He sometimes became violent. He later changes his life and stops drinking.

Writing Style and Genre

The Eagle Cliff is told by a narrator who sometimes talks directly to the reader. The story moves forward mainly through conversations between characters. It also uses detailed descriptions of the island.

The author, R.M. Ballantyne, made sure his stories were realistic. He once made a mistake in The Coral Island about coconut shells. After that, he started visiting the places he wrote about. This helped him make his adventure stories feel more real. He was one of the first writers to do this kind of research.

Ballantyne's focus on realistic settings connects him to a writing style called Naturalism. Naturalist writers try to show environments as they truly are. The setting often plays a big part in how the story unfolds. In The Eagle Cliff, the main characters are shipwrecked. They lose everything. But they soon find a friendly community on the island. This shows how the environment guides the characters.

The novel is similar to a Robinsonade story. These stories often feature a hero isolated on a deserted island. They must survive using only what they find. However, The Eagle Cliff is different. The main characters are not truly alone. They quickly find other people and comforts on the island. Their safety is only briefly at risk.

Unlike many adventure novels of its time, The Eagle Cliff does not feature "savage" characters. Instead, it focuses on a small British community on the island. It shows how the characters interact with each other. The book also includes a strong theme of religion. For example, a group of characters takes a boat ride to attend church services.

Themes in the Story

Masculine Activities

The novel highlights activities often seen as masculine. These include hunting and fishing. The island's residents have plenty of guns and fishing gear. They use them often. The story focuses on these activities. It also shows how male friendships grow through them.

Fate and Romance

Even with all the hunting, this novel also tells a love story. From the start, Ballantyne explores the idea of fate. John Barrett's first accident with the old lady affects his whole journey. Later, he discovers that his future wife, Milly, is the daughter of that same woman! This creates challenges for the young couple. This idea of fate is common in Naturalist stories. They often show how characters' lives are shaped by forces beyond their control.

Christianity

Religion is an important theme throughout the story. It guides the characters' choices. Like many of his books for young people, Ballantyne includes Christian values. John Rennie Short said that Ballantyne's strong faith and writing style made him very popular. His books aimed to teach young Victorian boys about honor, decency, and religion. He told exciting stories in a clear and engaging way.

Island Life and Imperialism

Unlike typical adventure novels, The Eagle Cliff does not feature encounters with native people. When the main characters arrive, they meet friendly white British settlers. The only mention of non-white people is in a story about elephant hunting. This story is told by Giles Jackman. He describes a large group of people, including governors and rajahs, at the hunt.

Even without island natives, the novel has some ideas about imperialism. It uses the common adventure story idea of a shipwreck on an island. However, it does not focus much on politics or military actions.