25. Fired. In Sophie’s next journal entry, she describes how one morning on The Wanderer, she overhears Uncle Dock and Stew having a discussion in the galley—Uncle Stew has been fired from his job. When she first hears them talking, Sophie knows something is out of the ordinary, because “Stew didn’t sound like his normal bossy self.” His voice was cracking and he was having a hard time articulating himself.
Here, we get a rare glimpse of Stew behaving in a way that isn’t overbearing and bossy, but rather in a way that reveals his own vulnerability. Stew, who’s used to acting like a boss on the ship, has been fired by his own boss—his usual sense of authority, therefore, has been challenged.