chapter 2: sir ernest shackleton: the man, the myth, the explorer

"I fee that another expedition unless it crosses the continent is not much"- Sir Ernest Shackleton

     As i previously stated (in my first blog), the purpose of Endurance as i perceive it is to enlighten the reader as to the hardships of the journey.  It also displays a character account of the crew.  In this series of posts (my blog), i will try to characterize the crew and describe the hardships as best i can.

     Ernest Shackleton may have been one of the most determined and loyal leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (the late 1800's and early 1900's to eliminate any confusion).  Shackleton wasn't inexperienced in seafaring journeys to Antarctica.  This was his 3rd voyage and his second as captain.  Shackleton felt that he owed it to his country to lead an expedition across the continent.  This same loyalty almost stopped the journey from happening.  World War II was just starting and Shackleton almost called the voyage off but, Winston Churchill told him to continue.

     The only other explorer whose idea was as crazy as Shackleton's was Christopher Columbus (we all know how "crazy" that idea was).  His idea that the world was round and that he could travel West to get to the Indies (east of Europe) was just as ridiculous as Shackleton's idea to cross a continent when people tried to go halfway.

Endurance Chapter 1: A New Begining

         

"The order to abandon ship was given at 5 P.M.  For most of the men however, no order was needed because by then everybody knew that the ship was done and that it was time to give up trying to save her."

     At this point in the novel, Alfred Lansing is explaining what the fate of the Endurance is.  Since he immediately revealed the fate of the ship rather then building up suspense and keeping the reader in the dark, he is emphasizing the fact that the story is not about a ship.  Instead, he is emphasizing the real courage of the 27 man crew and the leadership of their captain.  Lansing alludes to this in the preface by stating "Every action has been made to portray the events exactly as they occurred, and...the reactions of the men who lived them."

     While the story of men purposefully abandoning their chance for safety may seem unrealistic and impractical in today's world, that has not always been the case.  For instance, the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.  These men abandoned their wives, children, and other loved ones in order to protect others.  While the Spartans neither dealt with a ship or sled dogs, they fought against an overwhelming number of Persian soldiers for 3 days (ironically that's how many days the crew of the Endurance fought to save her).  Similarly though, the Spartans knew that they would die on the 3rd day and so, accepted their fate and prepared for the end.