 The novel describes a life of boredom and sudden battle action, but the chief conflict is between the traditional western ideas, which saw China in racist and imperialist terms, and emerging nationalism.The protagonist, Motor Machinist Mate First Class Jake Holman, the "San Pablo's" chief engineer, teaches his Chinese workers—he refuses to call them "coolies"—to master the ship's machinery by understanding it, not just "monkey see, monkey do".The ship is sent to save the China Light Mission from anti-foreign mobs, setting off a debate