Talk:Tai-Pan (novel)

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Historicity?[edit]

This article states that Dirk was married in 1822 and Culum born in 1824. The Novel says he is 20 when he arrives in Hong Kong in 1841. Something wrong there, also, the years are mixed up by saying Struan and Brock controlled the opium trade by 1810. It's impossible, probably should be eliminated. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dennmann57 (talk • contribs) 23:59, 15 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, is Dirk Struan based on any individual, as John Blackthorne is based on William Adams in Shogun? Chris 19:02, 3 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I believe Aristotle Quance may be George Chinnery Chris 02:30, 5 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well the most obvious person for Struan to be based on is William Jardine, though I don't get the impression Jardine was quite as ... swashbuckling as the Devil Struan. Binabik80 (talk) 22:25, 17 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What about the typhoon? Was it pure de ex machina? Jardine did not die in a storm. What about the revelation about cinchona (quinine)? Was it suddenly brought from South America around that time? The inside page of the book says none of the characters or organizations metitoned are meant to depict actual people, but is this just a legal protection?

Racism[edit]

The racism in this book must be mentioned. --2.245.206.50 (talk) 13:57, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What racism do you mean? The novel's characters and society are racist (and sexist and classist) due to the prevalent societal views of that era, but on a narrative level the author doesn't depict either the Chinese or the European characters as inferior in any way. -- Kazerniel (talk) 15:35, 13 September 2017 (UTC)[reply]