The Lion of St. Mark: A Tale of Venice in the 14th Century

Intro:The Lion of St Mark was written by G.A. Henty. The story was written for kids like me to enjoy. It is historical book written with a moral character that fought for good in his time. The main character, Francis Hammond, traveled on ships and had battles with other ships. He fought with Venice against the Genoa armies. His best friend Matteo traveled with him on his adventures.Brief Synopsis:Francis Hammond is the main character of the book and he lives in Venice. He is a gondola rower in the Grand Canal. His friend Matteo and he hang out most of the time when Francis isn't working. Francis is a gondola rower in the Grand Canal. He works onthe canal carrying people across with his fellow rower Giuseppi. He and Giuesppi get suspicious when a stranger asks them to take him to an island called San Nicolo every night. One night Francis decides to follow the stranger. He finds out that the stranger is having secret meetings. When Giuesppi learns that Francis is following the stranger, he makes him promise to stop in case of danger. The gondola rowers' lives go back to normal until they see Matteo's cousins getting attacked by some men. They help the women. The women's father, who is a rich merchant named Polani, is indebted to them. Francis' father, after some time, decides that his son should follow in his footsteps and be a merchant. This leads to several adventures on ships for Francis. He encounters pirates, is kidnapped, endures the battle of Genoa and Venice and helps Venice win. Polani gives Francis his daughter Giulia's hand in marriage because he wants to repay Francis. After all the adventures and near death experiences he is happily married.Analysis of the setting:The story takes place in Venice. The Grand Canal goes through the city. People travel on gondolas to get to the other side of the city. There is a large plaza in the city with many merchants selling things. Venice and Genoa are rivals and there is a big battle between the two. The setting of the canals is important because throughout the book there are battles on the water. The fact that Venice has canals and easy access for the Venice armies assists their ships in supplies. These men were experienced on the waterbecause they grew up there and the final battle took place on their seas. Analysis of the main character:Francis Hammond was an Englishman. He came from a line of merchants but felt that wasn't something he'd like to do. He was a talented gondola rower and enjoyed meeting and talking to many different people.Giuseppi, his friend shared the canal with him. They enjoyed spending time together. He was strong and wise for his age. His observing and helping the ladies in need showed his fearless moral character that would lead to becoming second command on a ship and then first. Even though he was

given rewards for his intelligence and strength he was humble and didn't brag but put others first.Theme or Lesson:The lesson was through hard work and determination someone can earn good things in life. Francis never gave up even when things looked dim. He was smart and humble and solved many problems by staying calm and taking the lead.Conclusion:Francis through all of his journeys and struggles ends up marrying the love of his life. Through hard work and perseverance one can accomplish anything.