Explores Captain Robert Fitzroy's abduction of Jemmy Button and his attempt to "civilize" him in England and return him to his country as a bearer of "enlightened society." His experiment leads to tragic consequences. The novel deals with European arrogance and exploitation, but avoids falling into the clichÔe of "the Noble Savage." Jemmy (the "Other") remains strange and the attempt to co-opt him fails.