White Jacket Chapter XII - The Good or Bad Temper of Men-of-War's Men

In which the sombre humours of the gunner’s gang and other shipboard personages are observed to be closely intertwined with the nature of their duties and stations, revealing how environment and occupation may chisel temperaments as surely as time carves stone. The narrative, with its keen eye for character and contemplative musing, gently proposes that the sights and sounds surrounding a man at sea wield a powerful influence over his disposition, reminding us of the quiet shaping force of one’s daily engagements.