Endurance: Part 4

The James Caird, Dudley Docker, and Stancomb Wills
(the boats sailed by the crew of the Endurance)

           Throughout this section of Endurance, Shackleton’s crew was desperately attempting to survive the treacherous waters of the Antarctic. They only had three small boats, one of which was never meant to sail in conditions that they were tackling, to accommodate the twenty-eight men. For a total of five days, the explorers did not leave their boats, constantly rowing and steering for hours without a break. The captain, Frank Worsley, had been steering one of the boats the entire time and, when he tried to move, found he was stuck in a sitting position. Through all of the torture that the crew was enduring, they faced their predicament with outstanding courage and attentiveness, all except the motor expert, Thomas H. Orde-Lees. Orde-Lees had been a lazy annoyance the entire expedition, but when he was asked by Worsley to row for a while, he downright refused. The men finally made it to shore though, with out the help of Orde-Lees. Although in much less trying circumstances, I have had to deal with people similar to Orde-Lees. I have worked in groups to complete projects for both school and out of school activities, but there is always one person in the group who refused to work.

Elephant Island - The island where the crew landed.

I know how frustrating that is for me, but when twenty-eight people’s lives depend on each one of those people doing their job, a man like Orde-Lees could actually be a danger to everyone’s safety. Although the rest of my group and I can usually finish a project even if one person stops pulling their weight, it was vital that each man on Shackleton’s voyage participated.

One of the literary terms implemented in this section is pathos. Alfred Lansing, the author of Endurance, employed many details about what the crew was facing in order to gain pity from the reader.

“Shackleton, remembering his promise, urged Blackboro to jump ashore, but the lad failed to move…Impatiently, Shackleton took hold of him and lifted him over the side. Blackboro dropped to his hands and knees…

‘Get up,’ Shackleton ordered.                                                                                   

Blackboro looked up. ‘I can’t sir,’ he replied.

Shackleton suddenly remembered Blackboro’s feet. In the excitement of the landing he had forgotten, and he felt ashamed,” (174).



Perce Blackboro

            This passage from Endurance gives the reader an insight into what this expedition cost Blackboro. He could no longer walk because his feet had been so frostbitten, and it was likely that he would never walk again. Shackleton had forgotten this detail and announced that Blackboro would be the first ashore, and when he realized his error, he was ashamed. This excerpt causes the reader to feel pity for both Blackboro and Shackleton. Blackboro had joined the expedition as a stowaway with hopes of an adventure, and because of that, he lost his ability to walk. Sympathy is felt for Shackleton too, who had finally brought his crew to solid ground, but who did not fully realize the toll the travels had taken on the men.