Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure Critique - Research Paper Example

Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure is a book on bravery in the face of natural disasters. It is a story that brings to the forefront the heroic qualities found in 28 rare men and how they stood united in the face of all dangers with the help of their courage, wit and individualistic qualities. The book is an eyewitness account by Frank Worsley about a few remarkable events that dealt with a superlative life. It is basically written as a memoir in the memory of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the great explorer. Endurance is basically about risks and some of the risk factors explored here are exploring unknown territory, desperate risk taken to come back to civilization, planned risk of a lifeboat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island, final risk of desperation to reach the civilization and physical risk. 1. Risk of Exploring an Unknown Territory- Expedition of Antarctic Continent Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure is filled with a number of risks. While some risks are just meant to accelerate the adrenal, other risks prove to be life saving in the mouth of dangers. The very starting and planning of the adventurous trip to Antarctic Continent is actually one great risk that Sir Ernest Shackleton took with his life. There are similar expeditions taken in other corners of the world, where the thrill seekers met with fatal consequences and many of them even lost their lives. However, the expedition that was undertaken by Shackleton actually 2 showed his true spirit as a leader who was ready to face all odds and give up his dreams of adventure just to save the precious lives of his crew. The unknown always beckons the adventurers to explore it and be the first one to get acquainted with it. There are high risks involved as one does not know what kind of territories would greet them. Hence, one can only assume of the threats involved and prepare themselves accordingly. But, if the peril comes out to be a fantastic one that no one had even dared to think, then only the bravest of spirit could stand up to such challenges and come out a winner. Hence, the undertaking of the Antarctic journey that was known to be one of the coldest and the harshest of all land forms was an unbelievable risk undertaken by Shackleton. On the fateful day of 5th December, 1914, the great adventurer, Sir Ernest Shackleton along with his twenty seven crew members set out for an exhilarating journey into the unknown territories of the Atlantic continent. His goal was to walk on foot the entire continent and get closely acquainted with this secluded and pristine place. The much uninhabited South Pole had just had a couple of visitors first by Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian and later by Falcon Scott of British origin. Unfortunately, Falcon Scott died during the return trip. Thus, it was no use visiting the South Pole again as it was now a known territory. Hence, the adventurer Sir Ernest Shackleton 3 wanted to prove himself by conquering a new region that had lain virgin till now. And what was more elusive, more dangerous than the extremely cold Antarctic region that no one had dared visited till now. Thus, he took on a risky journey into the unknown world of Atlantic ready to make himself familiarize with this place and bag a name for himself. To embark on this daring journey, Shackleton got himself a small ship that was renamed as Endurance. The ship was built up of Oak and Norwegian fir that was sheathed in enduring and tough greenheart wood. It was designed to function in tough pack ice. Unfortunately, Endurance did not prove as enduring as its name and it was a pack of wreck even before it touched the mainland. This made the journey more tough and formidable as there was no help on sight. Shackleton had been warned by the whalers of the South Georgia Island that the Antarctic had a tricky constitution. Even though it was summer, the ice shelf was found much beyond the continent’s main land area, but Shackleton, filled with a feeling of adventure and confident of his little well made boat took little notice of the well meant advice and moved on his fatal journey along with the 27 crew members and took great risks with his life as well as theirs. Endurance came into the grips of soft ice just a day before it was supposed to land on a specified place and got stuck. It remained there for a few months (18th January to 24th October), finally getting crushed by the mighty force of the ice. 4 Hence, embarking on an unknown journey makes way for the very first risk found in the novel. 2. Desperate Risk Taken to Come Back to Civilization- Trip from Antarctica to Elephant Island While the first risk was a dangerous one and paved a path of threats to life, the newer risk taken by Shackleton was a necessary one as it promised a reunion with civilization. This newer risk again professed life threatening situations, but in the absence of this risk the future of the twenty seven people seemed uncertain. After the crashing of the boat, Endurance, the shipmates lived a very secluded and miserable life. They had limited rations and depended mostly on penguins, sea leopards, seals, and also on their canine helps. “Such a life ages one”, wrote Hurley. The colds were bitter while their clothing inadequate. There was monotony in life and people resorted to a number of amusements such as playing cards, sharing stories, creating music on banjo, etc. With the passage of time the body and spirit both were getting weak, so as soon as the life gave them opportunity they undertook the risk of traveling on life boats to the nearest civilized island and get help for themselves. 5 On 9th April, more than a year after their boat crashed, the ice gave way to reveal clear water. Shackleton immediately ordered the three life boats to be launched in the water and by one thirty in the afternoon he set sail for the nearest islands. However, as the day cooled into a frigid night, the water once again turned to ice capturing the lifeboats. Shackleton along with his crew camped on a floe which again broke up in the middle of the night, tearing down a tent in two. The floe pulled down a man in a sleeping bag into the icy coldness of the water. He was immediately rescued. The men had to remain on ice floe in terrible cold, until they saw sun on 12th April. The partial glimpse of the sun allowed the ship’s captain, Frank Worsley to get a reading which revealed that they had traveled 30 miles in an opposite direction from the nearest island. To save the men from pessimism Shackleton just reported that that have “not made as much progress as we expected”. This was a very trying time with the men being thirsty, sea sick and very exhausted. To relive themselves they chewed the meat of raw seal that gave some reprieve from their thirst. Icy saline water kept filling their boats and the men felt their lowest with sleeplessness and no land on sight. The men kept on a hold to themselves and were rewarded by the sight of a beautiful sunrise two days later. The sunrise brought with it additional goodies in the form of visible 6 landscape. The Elephant and the Clarence islands were visible in the distant horizon and they made up their minds to land in the Elephant Island. It took another sleepless night at the sea before they could reach their destination. The men were overpowered by exhaustion and lack of sleep and had developed boils and frostbites. It was on 16th April, exactly 497 days later that the men set their feet on land again. This was a moment of exhilaration and rejoicing for one of the risks had paid off well. The men had overcome all odds, suffered much cold, exhaustion, thirst and sleeplessness before they could cover one part of their rescue journey. This risk was indeed well worth taken and the men had come out stronger and much courageous in the process. Shackleton too had proved his capability as an able leader whose main concern was to keep his men motivated and to get them help as soon as possible with the least amount of danger involved. He took risks but in a calculated way and kept his eyes ever open in the lookout for danger. This man did not sleep in the entire expedition from the Antarctic to the Elephant Island just so that he could keep an eye on the men and save them from any unforeseen dangers. 3. Planned Risk- A Terrifying Lifeboat Journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island 7 The Elephant Island was a big disappointment as it was just a very small piece of landscape with practically no vegetation or anything to support and shelter them. The place was tormented by blizzards and gales and the men found that they have left one hell to enter another one. A number of men endured boils and severe frostbites while one person even went through a heart attack. The situation was totally gloomy. The tents got destroyed in the blizzards and the men had to make a makeshift shelter out of two overturned boats. Skackleton allowed his men to rest for a few days and then picked five ablest of them to set sail on the sturdiest lifeboat towards the Georgia Island. Adequate precautions were made to undertake this difficult journey for the men would be exposing themselves to high risks in the dangerous icy cold sea waters. The men caulked the lifeboat with seal’s blood and oil paint, 500 pounds of boulders and 1500 pounds of shingles were loaded on the lifeboat. They also filled it up with four week’s supply of food and water and finally on 24th April they were ready to set sail. The men spent 17 long days at sea which showed its worst face. It seemed that the fate had been bribed to test their mettle and their enduring capabilities. During the 17 days that the men spent at sea they were constantly enveloped by darkness as the sun was too proud to show its face. During this entire period Worsley could only calculate the boat’s positions four times and all the four times he was not exactly sure that his calculations were right. The 22 feet long 8 lifeboat was engulfed in ice several times in the voyage and each time the weakened crew members had to hit at the ice encasement to break the lifeboat free and move forward in their destination. They were continually soaked in brine water of the sea and endured boils, hunger, seasickness, aching bodies and frostbite. Their sleeping bags which were made up of reindeer skin started decaying and molting after being in continuous contact with sea air and sea water. Two got so bad that they had to be overthrown while the rest also decayed and left reindeer hair that got inside the men’s nose, mouth and eyes. It was the slightest of their problems but added much to their discomfort. However, the rations of warm milk and food gave them some energy and brightened their days in the surrounding gloom. The men had sighted the land on the 15th day itself but they were hesitant to get the lifeboat in the surrounding darkness for fear of crashing it. So, for two days they waited for some light to make a move forward. But, it seemed that the fate was not happy with their success and wanted to test their courage some more. Thus, instead of sunlight she sent gale to the sailors. This gale gradually turned into a fully fledged hurricane attack which soaked the men and filled the lifeboat with water. The men were now at the ends of their strengths and filled up with deep exhaustion, still they continued to bale up the water and save their day. Finally the next day they moved forward towards the way and attempted to land the boat. Their perseverance paid off and 9 after six attempts the boat finally landed at the shore and welcomed them with the sound of running water. The men got excited by this discovery and immediately ran towards the source which was a stream of glacier melt. “It was a splendid moment.” Shackleton wrote. Hence, we find that each act of courage and risk is awarded in the end if the risk undertaken is planned in a proper manner. Shackleton had taken a big risk in attempting a long sea journey just with the help of a lifeboat, but he had done so with adequate preparations. Thus, his risk paid off and the little lifeboat finally found its destination in spite of all the natural hurdles such as bales and hurricanes. Therefore, if a person takes a calculated risk after a thorough preparation then his risk certainly pays off and he finally achieves the objective that he set out to obtain. 4. Final Risk of Desperation to Reach the Civilization- Covering 22 Miles of the Earth’s Harshest Terrain on Foot Sir Ernest Shackleton along with his men landed at the South Western side of the South Georgia Island and was just at a 22 Miles distance from the whaling station. Yet, those few miles were extremely hard to travel as they covered one of the worst blizzards to be found anywhere on the planet. The lifeboat was too battered to take out to the sea again, so the only option was to walk this entirely untouched part on foot. But, it was easier said than done. The climate was unforgiving; the terrains rough, the men were too weak and exhausted to carry their sleeping 10 bags and tents. It meant that they would have to stay awake and on their feet for the entire duration of their expedition. This meant more risk, more exhaustion and more sleeplessness, but this was one risk that promised immediate benefit by making contact with mankind. Hence, this risk was very necessary for the fate of the entire crew members. Thus Thomas Crean and Frank Worsley accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton on this dangerous voyage in search for getting help for their men and themselves. The new terrain covered icy paths so to enable them to walk on this smooth and slippery ground, Crean inserted 8 extra brass screws in the boot sole’s of each person. They calculated that if they continued walking without any interval then they would reach the whaling station in about 3 days time. Hence, they kept a three days’ supply of food a bowl, a stove, a navigational tool, an adze, and walking sticks along with a 90 feet long Alpine rope. They made an early start and at two early in the morning they began on yet another journey. The fog proved a big hurdle in their path and forbade them to see anything. There was also the danger of them getting lost in the wilderness. So, the three men bind themselves with the rope with Shackleton providing the lead while Worlsy formed the rear whose job was to navigate the direction of their forward movement. Hence, he continuously guided the other two with shouts of “steady”, “port” or “starboard”. At a point in their journey, they encountered a 11 “mysterious” lake which turned out to be nothing more than the arm of the sea. This had eaten up more than one hour of their precious time. The three men were steadfast in their approach and continuously walked forward through night and day meeting many mountains and plateaus in between. The next day’s evening took them to the heights of a mountain. As it was taking too much time to reach the ground so the men took on a massive risk and came down sliding. This saved them precious amount of their time and also brought them closer to their destination. Finally the exhaustion gets the better of them and Worsley along with Crean rested for a while in a secluded spot and immediately fell asleep. Shackleton ever the responsible leader fought his own sleep and woke up the two men after letting them sleep for five minutes for he knew that they could die of cold exposures in the wilderness. About one and a half hour later the men heard a sound that felt like a steam whistle. It gave them hope that they were very near the help. However, their ordeal had not ended yet. Before, they could reach for help they had to endure more physical strains and risks. The downward journey was slow and difficult and at a point they even had to cross an icy waterfall by tying a rope around themselves and dropping down. After enduring much dangers and undertaking great risks, the three courageous men 12 finally found themselves at the whaling station at three in the afternoon. Their mission was accomplished. Now saving the remaining crew just needed some moment in time. This final risk of desperation was indeed a fruitful one that brought them back in the lap of civilization. It was a great testing of spirit and each of them came out a winner. There have been very few instances in life that time tests the spirit of men. Much of the time the men fail out before the gigantic powers of nature. They either surrender to the superior powers of nature or collapse or die. However, these brave men fought against each challenge presented by mother Earth and seemed to thrive in them. They indeed came out stronger in this ordeal. Shackleton later wrote about the journey “I have no doubt that Providence guided us, not only across those snowfields, but across the storm-white sea that separated Elephant Island from our landing-place on South Georgia. I know that during that long and racking march of thirty-six hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers of South Georgia it seemed to me often that we were four, not three.” 5. Physical Risk of Getting Down the Mountain There are some situations in life where a man has to take fantastic physical risk at no moment in time. The outcome of this risk could have only two possible endings. The positive effect of the risk could be life and time saving situation, but the negative outcome could be death 13 or even fatal physical injuries. While crossing the South Georgia Island, Sir Shackleton found himself in such a crossroad of decisions where making the right one would help him and his buddies while a wrong decision could be very fatal. Shackleton needed to cross the untraveled paths of the frigid South Georgia Island to get help for his twenty seven stranded crew members who lived in small groups at different places of their journey starting from the frigid Antarctica, the gloomy Elephant Island and lastly the South West part of the South Georgia Island. While travelling on foot, Shackleton and his team reached the top of a mountain from where they needed to climb down the mountain. The downward descent was slow which troubled Shackleton as he wanted to get down the mountain before darkness fell. The cold was at its peak at such heights and combined with the cooling effect of the night, it was sure to be their deathbed. So, he took a drastic risk that solved much of their problem. He informed his men, “It’s a devil of a risk, but we’ve got to take it. We’ll slide.” The three men coiled up their share of rope beneath them and locked themselves with one another, locking their arms and legs around each of them so that they formed a human ball. The initial fear of this plunge was replaced by a feeling of exhilaration at this unexpected ride. And in just about three minutes the men had been able to travel the distance of three thousand feet. 14 On meeting the soft snow the men solemnly stood up and shook their hands with the other two partners. The foot journey continued without any break. Sliding down the mountain was a great physical risk that could have broken the bones of one or all of the voyager maimed them or even killed them. Shackleton however did all that he could to minimize the injuries and make the slid a smooth one. Needless to say Worsley, Crean and Shackleton enjoyed their downward descent after the initial shock of the slide wore off. Hence, they covered the entire three thousand feet of journey in just three minutes without getting hurt. This risk was well timed and gain taken under much supervision, hence it proved to be a success. However, it is advisable to ignore such types of risks in private life and to take them only under extreme conditions. Similar type of risk but of a minor nature emerged when the three companions lowered themselves through an icy waterfall with the help of a rope. A single error here could have resulted in dire consequences. But, as the leadership of Shackleton was strong and the men knew to work as one hence this risk too went uneventful. Thus, we see that the book is filled up with many risks that starts from the first chapter and continues to the end. But, as most of the risks were well calculated and essential for saving their lives hence, these risks do not look childish or foolhardy but it makes the explorers emerge as real men. Work Cited: Worsley, F. A. “Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure”. Print. Norton, 1999. Read More