Who Alan Breck Stewart is
Alan Breck Stewart enters the story as a new passenger aboard the Covenant, where David Balfour is held captive. He is brave, proud, and conspicuous in fine clothes, with a temper that can complicate his dealings with others.
What Alan Breck Stewart wants
Alan supports the exiled Stuart royal family rather than the reigning Hanoverian monarchy. That allegiance places him at odds with government power in a country divided by the aftermath of rebellion. As he and David travel through the Highlands, avoiding capture becomes part of their shared struggle.
Alan Breck Stewart and the others in the story
David chooses to help Alan when the ship's officers threaten him, and their shared danger begins an unlikely friendship. Their politics, upbringing, and habits differ, yet Alan becomes David's companion and guide through dangerous country.
Alan's courage and resourcefulness offer protection as hunger, exhaustion, and the threat of capture press upon them. His pride also brings quarrels, making their partnership a test of loyalty as well as survival.
Questions
Who is Alan Breck Stewart in Kidnapped?
Alan is a Highland supporter of the Stuart cause who becomes David Balfour's ally during the voyage.
How does Alan help David Balfour?
He guides and protects David through the Highlands, where shelter depends on knowing the right people.
Is Alan Breck Stewart a real person?
The novel's Alan draws on the historical Alan Breck Stewart. David Balfour's adventure is fictional, but Stevenson builds it around real Scottish history.