Daughter of the Pirate King

Appearances are often used as weapons in the novel, as several key characters invite others to make faulty assumptions as a way of gaining a tactical advantage over them. Riden articulates this theme perfectly with his warning to Enwen—a claim that “beautiful women have a way of playing tricks on a man’s mind” (53). Upon first meeting Alosa, he similarly tells her, “Lass, you’ve the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake” (16). His inferences about women in general and about Alosa in particular exemplify how effectively outward appearances can disguise internal secrets.

For the men in the novel, their appearance isn’t given much attention or value, thus emphasizing the oversimplified stereotype that men do not generally care much for their own hygiene or presentation but are instead heavily influenced by the appearances of the women they encounter. Given this double standard, which often takes center stage within the author’s world building, the men in the novel often spend their spoils on female companionship and flasks of rum, while Alosa “take[s] pleasure in longer-lasting awards” such as “good clothing and face paint” because “appearance is important” (90). With an attention-worthy appearance, Alosa uses the prejudices ingrained in the male gaze to obtain additional influence and coveted information about other pirates. Thus, the author creates a situation in which a female character exploits existing misogynistic prejudices for her own gain, thus critiquing the faulty assumptions upon which such prejudices are based.

To this end, Alosa relies heavily upon appearances during her time aboard the Night Farer, for her every move is calculated to fulfill her role as “the distressed and exasperated prisoner” (16), even as she seeks to find and steal the brothers’ third of the map. While Alosa’s deceptive appearances succeed in some ways, it soon becomes apparent that “even when playing a part, pieces of a person’s true self can sneak through the cracks” (16). She must pick and choose which parts of herself to allow Riden and the other crew members to see, and she does display authentic flashes of stubbornness and temper, but these more honest moments are also used to her advantage. When she is first brought aboard the Night Farer, for example, Alosa clutches at her shirt “as though [she is] worried the pirates intend to undress her” (17-18). Though Alosa’s siren half makes her stronger than most men, she plays the stereotyped role of a helpless woman who is terrified to be surrounded by less-than-honorable male pirates. The act allows her to weaponize the femininity of her appearance and manipulate Riden’s first impression of her. Not only does he feel the automatic urge to ensure her protection, but he also underestimates her cunning and intelligence.

Alosa’s act effectively causes the entire crew to underestimate her, which works to her advantage; however, because of her pride, “sometimes [she] find[s] it offensive” to engage in such demeaning subterfuge (70). Altering her appearance or putting on an act to seduce or manipulate men is a technique that disgusts her and makes her feel as though her true identity is being eroded. This feeling is similar to the lack of control she feels when she allows her siren half to take over. Her siren half can “sense exactly what men want” and become “that for them in order to get what [she] want[s]” (177). Despite the considerable advantages that Alosa’s siren heritage gives her over other pirates, she “loathe[s] it” because “[she] do[esn’t] feel like [her]self” (177). To survive in the pirate world, however, she must use considerable techniques of manipulation. By exuding a false sense of the innocence, sincerity, and submissiveness that men expect from women, Alosa “become[s] everything [she] hate[s]” but slowly makes progress toward impressing her father and proving that she is a real pirate (178). She also hopes that her efforts will eventually prove that she deserves to inherit her father’s position.