Endurance, SECTION 3: Part 2, Ch. 1-3



Ernest Shackleton



            As part two begins in Endurance, the crew is no longer aboard the ship. They are forced to tough it out on the ice. After a few days of trying to move forward with their expedition, it was clear that any attempt to cover a lot of land was useless because they were only going less than three-fourths of a mile each day. Instead, they set up camp on the ice and the other problems like hunger, frostbite, and the dogs start to set in. Also, in order to make their load lighter, they were only allowed to keep two pounds of personal items. Pictures, books, special keepsakes, and more other items had to be tossed away, seeing how it could be a matter of life and death. As always, though, the crew manages to make it work, because even though they face many difficulties, they still share the main and most important goal of survival.



Perce Blackboro and the beloved cat
Mrs Chippy, who was one of the possessions
that had to be given up



The shedding of their most special possessions really hits home for me. There are many things in my life that I don’t every think I could ever live without. Reading this section of the book has really put into perspective what really is important in life, and it is not cellphones, computers, Ipads, or Ipods. When faced with life or death, survival is all that matters. There is always that clichéd question, “If there your house was on fire, and you could save one item, only one, what would it be?” Well honestly, if my house was really on fire, would I have time to even save one item; if my life was on the line, I wouldn’t waste a single second worrying about the one thing I had to save. The same is true for the crew of the Endurance, they can’t spend time worrying about what they are leaving behind when they can’t even be sure of what will happen to them in the future.     

            The literary term that is used in this section of the novel is imagery. Imagery is the exceptional use of words and phrases that appeal to one or more of the senses, and in the third section of the book, the use of this literary tool is especially evident. “Shackleton could hear the ghostly rhythm of the chain from the martingale boom being slowly dragged back and forth by the movement of the ship.” When Lansing describes the harshness of the wind and weather they experienced while living on the ice, he creates a vivid picture of what the crew endured during that time.