Blog Twelve: Endurance Pg 274

The final and most significant turning point in the entire novel is undoubtedly when they men were reintroduced into society and met with the whaling stations lead. As this quote shows, the accomplishment made by the men was unbelievable, “When he saw the three men he stepped back and a look of disbelief cam over his face. For a long moment he stood shocked and silent before he spoke.

“Who the hell are you?” he (Sorlle) said at last.

The man in the center stepped forward.

“My name is Shackleton,” he replied in a quiet voice.

Again there was silence. Some said that Sorlle turned away and wept(Lansing 274).” The dialogue between these two men may have been small, but the words spoken really said a million words. They men had made it and they survived though all believed that they had perished a year earlier. The simple sentence Shackleton spoke, though short, was able to tell Sorlle thousands of things about the voyage. There is no doubt that there were many other turning points in the novel like the twenty-eight men reaching land or the six people on the rescue party meeting land as well. However, there is not question that the greatest point and accomplishment in the novel was when the people who gave up hope for that forsaken crew saw that man's will and determination prevailed.

Blog Eleven: Endurance Pg 236

The irony throughout this novel continually astounds me. Though the men were covered in blisters and quenching in discomfort, they were relaxed. “Their legs from the knees down were chafed and raw from the countless punishing trips crawling across the rocks in the bottom. And all of them were afflicted with salt water boils on their wrists, ankles, and buttocks. But had someone unexpectedly come upon this bizarre scene, undoubtedly the most striking thing would have been the attitude of the men...relaxed, even faintly jovial-almost as if they were on an outing of some sort(Lansing 236).”

Time and time again throughout the novel, Lansing shows example of how even though the men may be in dire situations, they still do not have the attitude that one would expect. I believe that the reason that this is, is because of the close bond that these men had created by spending so long together through so many challenging situations. Due to the close connection that these men had, they began to trust in each other. They knew somewhere deep down that the man next to me will help me in whatever way they can if the time comes. Also, the fact that a man was not alone during this whole ordeal made the journey much easier to bare. Having to share a similar fate with someone else allows there to be an almost relaxed feeling based on the knowledge that one does not have to go through the challenge alone.

Blog Ten: Endurance Pg 229

Throughout the novel and mostly in the later parts of it, Alfred Lansing wants the reader to feel for the men stuck in their desperate situation.  When reading, one can just feel the pathos he is trying to evoke.  "One-third of the sentence had been served." No, they are no in prison, they are not enclosed in a building, and they are not actual convicts.  Instead the six men sent on the rescue journey are prisoners to the seas enclosed in the only sea worthy vessel they could muster. We, as readers, have been feeling for all the men throughout the novel, but as the book progresses, we begin to feel more and more sympathy for them.  Their situations never improves for more than a day at a time and it truly is like they are imprisoned.  For the men on the island, their situation is not much better.  They are also stuck there without the capabilities to help themselves.  Being stuck in the shelter that they constructed sitting on their desolate island truly does compare to being imprisoned.

Blog Nine: Endurance Pg 203

The motif of waiting and trying to survive was becoming all too familiar for the remaining crew of the Endurance.  They waited every day for months for the rescue boat that they had hoped would save them from the terrible piece of rock they resided on. "Every morning i go to the stop of the hill, and in spite of everything i cannot help hoping to see a ship coming along to our relief." Everyday for months Hurley along with others climbed that hill to look for salvation.  The theme does not just apply to the island though.  Even on the ice, they still expected something to go their way and in a way, save them.  They hoped that just maybe something would eventually aid in their progress. This theme constantly appeared throughout the book as something to be expected.

Blog Eight: Endurance Pg 179

The use of an exclamation mark in Alfred Lansing's novel could only mean one thing...something amazing has occurred.  Hurley wrote, " How delicious to wake in one's sleep and listen to the chanting of the penguins mingling with the music of the sea.  To fall asleep and awaken again and feel this is real.  We have reached the land(Lansing 179)!!) This exclamatory sentence truly does convey the feelings most of the men were feeling as they finally stepped onto something solid and something they knew would always be beneath them as long as they stayed there.  Progressing through school, I know that a exclamation mark signifies something has happened or someone is extremely excited. As we see in this quote, both of those things apply.  The men, having been stuck on frozen water for 495 days, finally have a feeling of security and protection from the environment.  Though they are not completely safe yet, their minds can be put to ease.  They no longer had to worry about which direction they were headed, the ice cracking beneath them, or whether the presence of a bird was a good or bad thing.

Blog Seven: Endurance Pg 166

Shackleton may have seemed to be a stoic and generally straight forward man, but he eventually proved to be susceptible to things he could not control. Though he seemed to be a flat character throughout the extent of the journey, he really turns out to be a round character in a way. “Shackleton, for once, agreed to the separation; at least, he granted Worsley permission to proceed independently(Lansing 166).” Though this simple granting of a subordinates will my seem insignificant, Shackleton had remained determined to stick to his own path without the input of anyone else having any significance. Seeing that this stoic man eventually had to, in his own way, reach out for help shows that being a solid figure all the time is not possible. Every person will eventually need the help of others. Shackleton, a brave and strong man realized that though he still will be in command, he needed the advice and help from the others around him. His surrender of his normal way of controlling the group may have been a different or uncomfortable position for him, but he realized because of his vast experience that no man can lead by themselves through such a hostile environment.

Blog Six:Enurance Pg. 187

The mood in this novel really travels like the contour of a mountain.  In the beginning the hopes were as would be suspected and generally high.  As they made progress and showed signs of good things their spirits soured.  However, the progress was soon halted and all spirits went down hill from there.  As this quote shows, anything new can bring the spirits of the men up even if it is only slightly. "That soot blackened floe which had been their prison for nearly four months-whose every feature they knew so well, as convicts know each crevice of their cells; which they had come to despise, but whose preservation they had prayed for so often-belonged now to the past.  They were in the boats...actually in the boats, and that was all that mattered(Lansing 141)."  The men's spirits were down for so long after the Endurance went down that anything of change would naturally bring their spirits up.  More often than not, anything that was an expected or hoped for change would only bring good things for them.

Blog Five: Endurance Pg. 120

“There is absolutely nothing to do but kill time as best one may, Even at home, with theaters and all sorts of amusements, changes of scene and people, four months idleness would still be tedious; One can then imagine how much worse it is for us. One looks forward to meals, not for what one will get, but as definite breaks in the day. All around us we have day after day the same unbroken whiteness, unrelieved by anything at all.” Ipods, television, friends, and more are all things that people have the option of enjoying. There are many more options than that, but comparing this to the things that occupied the men in the Antarctic, one may almost feel selfish. At least, that's how Macklin makes use feel when reading this quote. Macklin's use of a bathos makes the reader feel pit for him and the rest of the men. Like many other writing techniques used in this book, we feel a closer connection between these men. We begin to feel for them and we begin to realize that normal people will never have to go through something like what they had to endure for so long.

Blog Four:Endurance Pg. 87

Worsley recorded after contemplating civilization over their current predicament, “Waking on a fine morning I feel a great longing for the smell of dewy wet grass and flowers of Spring morning in New Zealand or England. One has very few other longings for civilization- good bread and butter, Munich beer, Coromandel rock oysters, apple pie and Devonshire cream are pleasant reminiscences rather than longings.” Worsley's use of imagery really creates a vivid feeling or image in the readers mind. It creates images of what they came from and where they are now and how things have changed so drastically. It lets the reader empathize with these men because of how different their lives have become. Lansing chose this quote at the perfect time when the situation was dire and thoughts of home were being contemplated. He uses this quote to strike a bond with the reader and the men of this book. A book is with a doubt always more interesting when a connection is developed.

Blog Three:Endurance Pg 64

"The nine months of indecision, of speculation, about what might happen, of aimless, drifting with the pack, were over. Now they simply had to get themselves out, however appallingly difficult that might be(Lansing 64)."  By Lansing adding this quote into his writing, we realize how truly difficult it will be.  His use of foreshadowing allows us to see that their journey will be full of hardship.  Throughout the book, Lansing uses subtle hints indicating the way things will turn out.  This blunt but true statement signifies that though the men may be happy with their situation, the mood of the men will change drastically over time.  Also, his use of the word "appalling" really ties the knot on how difficult the journey will be. One does not know how or why the journey will be difficult but as this quote shows, one does know that it will be difficult.

Blog Two: Endurance Pg. 30

The Endurance, attempting to fight its way through onslaught of glaciers, was eventually unable to progress any further. The men were optimistic but instinctively they knew that nothing good could come from their situation. Alfred Lansing quotes Orde-Lees as saying, “frozen, like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar(Lansing 30)” Using a simile in this situation was perfect because of the similarity of the almond's circumstances and the Endurance's circumstances. The Endurance was stuck in a barricade of ocean and ice. Due to the mammoth pressures and weight exerted on her, she was truly stuck. She had no momentum to drive her way out of their situation which is truly the only way to drive though ice. As stated in the previous area of the book, the men tried for hours on end with the engine at full blast to push the ship out of her predicament, but their trials were to no avail.

Blog One: Endurance Pg. 18

“...Britain declared war on Germany. Shackleton's position could hardly have been worse. He was damned if he did, and damned if he didn't. He was just about to leave on an expedition he had dreamed about and worked toward for almost four years. Vast sums of money, much of it involving future commitments, had been spent, and countless hours had gone into planning and preparation. At the same time, he felt strongly about doing his part in the war.”

Shackleton was on the verge of leaving everything he had worked toward behind to help his country in need. He and his crew were about to abandon it when Winston Churchill willed that the expedition go on as planned. This sacrifice that Shackleton was about to make was immense, however, he knew his sole duty was to help his country. When attempting to describe Shackleton's dilemma, Lansing uses such words as “damned” to convey his thoughts or feelings. This expletive successfully conveys the atmosphere and seriousness of the situation that Shackleton is in.