Naples

Naples is a waypoint in Theodore’s search for his father after captivity and the destruction of his family’s home. From Sicily he sails to Naples, then continues on foot toward Otranto; the city marks a passage from uncertain news about his family to the reunion he had nearly given up hoping for.

Place in Theodore’s Journey

Theodore’s account places Naples after his release from slavery. A Christian vessel frees him from the pirate ship and puts him ashore in Sicily, where he learns that the estate on the coast has been devastated, the castle burned, and his father retired into religious life somewhere in the kingdom of Naples. No one can tell him where to find his father.

With that uncertain lead, Theodore takes the first opportunity to sail to Naples. The account gives no further description of the city or its role beyond serving as the point from which he continues his search; within six days, he has wandered into the province of Otranto, supporting himself by the labor of his hands.

Narrative Significance

Naples lies between the loss Theodore discovers in Sicily and the unexpected reunion that follows. When he leaves for the city, he is destitute and friendless, with little hope of embracing his father. He later explains that, until the previous morning, he had expected no greater fortune than peace of mind and contented poverty. His journey through Naples thus forms part of a search whose outcome overturns that expectation: he finds his father, Jerome, in Otranto.