The Adventures of Roderick Random

Uncle’s Generosity

On the way back to the village, Uncle Bowling remained silent for an hour, whistling continuously while wearing a stern expression. He then hurried ahead before stopping to demand the narrator keep pace. Despite his gruff manner, his good nature prevailed as he announced the schoolmaster was “in hell” and offered to take the boy to sea with him, quoting a sailor’s song about fortune. However, when the school usher interjected that it would be a pity to waste the boy’s genius, Uncle Bowling generously resolved to provide a university education instead, covering board and expenses at a nearby town famous for its colleges.

Schoolmaster’s Brutality

Before their departure day, the schoolmaster no longer restrained himself now that the grandfather was deceased. He abused the narrator with gross language, calling him a wicked, profligate, dull, beggarly miscreant taught out of charity. Most grievously, the master bitterly reviled the memory of Judge Random, who had actually arranged his settlement, hinting the old gentleman was damned for not paying for the narrator’s education.

Project of Revenge

This brutal treatment convinced the narrator it was time for revenge. With loyal allies Jeremy Gawky and Hugh Strap committed to stand by him, they plotted: when the usher went out at four o’clock, the narrator would shut the great door to prevent his assistance, then spit in the master’s face. Gawky and Strap would drag the tyrant to a bench and birch him thoroughly. If outnumbered, they would call on competitors for support. Gawky owed the narrator for saving his life from drowning and repeatedly rescuing him from consequences through performing his exercises. Strap’s devotion stemmed from saving the narrator’s life at his own risk and suffering punishments in the narrator’s place. Both planned to leave school the next day—Gawky returning to his father, Strap to apprentice with a barber.

Uncle’s Assistance

Learning of the master’s behavior, Uncle Bowling raged and vowed revenge. When the narrator revealed the plot, the uncle approved but questioned their escape plan. “Let me alone for that,” he declared—he would handle the getaway. He prepared the instrument of revenge with skill, ordered their baggage packed a day early, and arranged horses for their flight. When the hour came, the uncle seized the opportunity of the usher’s absence, bolted in, and secured the door. Though the narrator trembled, he summoned his allies. Strap obeyed immediately while the narrator leapt on the master’s back and Strap pulled his leg, bringing the tyrant down as Gawky joined the celebration with a huzza. The uncle bound the master to a post with rope, stripped his back, and administered vigorous punishment with a cat-and-nine-tails, leaving him thrashing and cursing. The usher was bound to his own desk as a spectator while the lieutenant gave the schoolmaster a memorable lesson.

Departure for University

After the ceremony, Uncle Bowling treated the entire company at the public house. He offered to make the usher their ship schoolmaster if he ever commanded a vessel. They parted with many tears and stayed at an inn ten miles short of the university town. Upon arrival the next day, the narrator found satisfactory accommodations with an apothecary who had married a distant relation of his mother. Within days, Uncle Bowling departed for his ship after settling funds for the narrator’s maintenance and education.

CHAPTER VI

Summary: The narrator makes great progress in his studies and gains popularity in town, attracting the attention of his wealthy female cousins. When he rejects their advances, they conspire against him. His uncle’s misfortune leaves him destitute, and he faces further betrayal and retaliation before challenging Squire Gawky to a duel.

Progress in Studies and Rising Popularity

Progress in Studies and Rising Popularity

Summary: The narrator, recognizing his precarious situation and sole dependence on his uncle Bowling, applies himself diligently to his studies over three years. He achieves proficiency in Greek, mathematics, moral and natural philosophy, and develops a talent for poetry that gains favorable reception. His attractive appearance and accomplishments earn him the esteem of respectable townspeople and considerable favor with the ladies, which he maintains by lampooning their rivals.