David is the point-of-view character and protagonist of Kidnapped who narrates the novel in the style of a memoir. Raised in the south of Scotland, David starts the novel inexperienced and ignorant of the politics and history of his country. He serves as a vehicle for young men who were the primary audience of the novel to insert themselves into the story and learn about the wider world through David’s eyes.

His story is a coming-of-age tale in which his trials shape him into the sort of person who can step confidently into his position as Lord of Shaws. David grows from a naïve youth with a black-and-white view of ethics to an experienced and capable man with a keen understanding of the world’s moral complexities. He comes to understand that those in authority don’t always pursue justice and that two people can hold different political and moral convictions and still both be honorable and good. While his experience doesn’t change the value David places upon honor, he comes to see that people can be honorable in different ways.

David starts the novel knowing almost nothing about Highland customs, tradition, and values, but he quickly learns not only to understand but also appreciate their ways, noting, “If these are the wild Highlanders, I could wish my own folk wilder” (79).