The narrator appears to be a young, adventurous individual eager to embrace new experiences, contrasting sharply with the Captain's more subdued and unadventurous demeanor. This is evident when the narrator expresses a strong desire to bathe in the mid-Atlantic, showcasing his boldness and willingness to engage in potentially risky behavior. He notes, "I wanted to bathe. I wanted to bathe in the mid-Atlantic," illustrating his longing for adventure beyond the confines of his familiar city life. Additionally, his observation that the Captain has "more enterprise in my little finger than that far-travelled Captain had in the whole of his weather-worn, hulking lump of a carcass" signifies his perception of himself as more spirited and willing to seek out thrilling experiences, highlighting a sense of youthful enthusiasm and curiosity.
The Reward of Enterprise by Ward Muir A project was forming in my mind. I looked at the water. It was a peculiar, vitreous green, closer under the steamer, was transparent to the depth of many feet. Beneath my shoe-soles the deck was hot; over side, the sea looked inexpressibly inviting. And on a sudden I turned to the drowsing Captain and exclaimed: “I want to bathe.” “To bathe?” The Captain gazed at me. “Why not?” Seafaring people are odd in that way—I don’t mean in their ignorance of swimming, though, to be sure, the average sailor is seldom a swimmer. They’re so—how shall I express it?—so unenterprising. In the midst of adventure and romance they are stirred by no recognition either of the adventures or the romantic. I was a city-bred youngster, who had never been out of hail of the homeland before, and I possessed more enterprise in my little finger than that far-travelled Captain had in the whole of his weather-worn, hulking lump of a carcass. I wanted to bathe. I wanted to bathe in the mid-Atlantic. I had learnt to bathe in the public swimming-bath near my old school, and now I wanted to try a swimming-bath three miles deep and tilting continuously at an angle of I don’t know how many degrees. The notion was gorgeous.
Use the passage below to answer the question. In 3–5 sentences, explain what inferences you can draw about the narrator. Provide evidence from the text to support your ideas.
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