Compare and contrast the characters of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. Why do they become friends and why does their bond continue to grow throughout the novel? 

Analyze the use of scientific and technical language in this novel. How does it contribute to the tone and the sense of verisimilitude?

Master and Commander often includes passages that are purportedly drawn from documents, such as the ship’s log, official letters, and Stephen Maturin’s diary. How are these passages stylistically different from other parts of the story? What impact does this have on the narrative?