The Lieutenant Rooke Character Traits

Human instincts have shown that it is common for people wanting to make the unusual, usual. In Kate Grenville’s semi historical novel, ‘The Lieutenant’ she shows that through such characters that, while there are many who try to transform the strangeness of things into something they are comfortable with, there are others who prefer to embrace the peculiarity of it and or control it with fear.
It is easier for people to change things into something they prefer, rather than accepting it for what it is. Lieutenant Silk was one of Rooke’s few friends who he made as a marine. Silk was a man that was “amusing” and “cordial” he was very good at stringing a conversation and as a result he was well liked by his peers. During his time in Sydney Cove

Rooke is a “man of very few words” and as a child he “had no memories other than of being an outsider.” Rooke was socially inept and he himself described as something like “special numbers” ones that could only be “divided by themselves and one”. Initially the only person that Rooke could be himself with was his little sister Anne. However unbeknownst to Rooke’s, his personality and intelligence gave him the strength to do what most other cannot. To put it simply, It is common for people to want to make everything familiar because as for most they fear the unknown. However for Rooke he does not have this defence mechanism, as Rooke has been and ‘outsider’ for so long it has allowed him to “enter that strangeness and lose himself in it.” It was his time on Sydney cove and the relationships he formed with the natives, that allowed Rooke to express himself. Rooke found that his true happiness was found when he stopped comparing himself to others. However it was due to his bond with Tagaran, that Rooke was able to immerse himself into the natives unique culture. Rooke and Tagaran were able to form a friendship through their mutual curiosity of learning each other languages. Rooke noticed that ‘Once two people shared a language, they could no longer use it to hide.’ Without the language barrier Rooke was somewhat able to become a part of the natives community. It was through Rooke’s personality that he was able to face the strangeness head on and embrace