Eighteenth century politics, rhetorical styles, lost-in (space or time) literature, revolution, musical comedy (Bing Crosby, William Bendix, I think) ...there are lots of ways to discuss this little novel. Yet another would be from the perspective of original sin, or if that is too strong, man as a flawed creature. There are some parallels, for example, with another 19th century novel that wasn't a big hit at the time but is now recognized as one of the monuments of American literature--Moby Dick. In both cases you see central characters who are doomed by their imperfection. You could also argue that for both authors this is pretty consistent with what we know of their views on humanity. There are other parallels--both novels involve travel, and considerable action and adventure provide a palatable and entertaining setting for the underlying messages. Mike Dooris--Penn State