Puzzled Which to Choose deals with Captain Frederick Marryat’s often ambivalent views on such seemingly diverse topics as naval matters, the English social hierarchy, America, and racial minorities. On these subjects, Marryat mirrors the uneasiness and vacillations of many people in the 1830s and 1840s. Marryat has a first-hand knowledge of the globe, and his novels, whether set in England, on ship-board, or in part of the colonial empire, can provide us with insights into pre-Victorian society and England’s role in world affairs.