Epilogue

The crew of the Endurance

This section is all about the rescues. The three men on the other side of South Georgia are rescued first. This is able to be done rather easily. Then it comes time to rescue those on Elephant Island. Shackleton gives many attempts to rescue them, all failing. Then, when he tries once more, he is able to make it to the island. The men on Elephant Island were just living life as usual when they saw the ship, and tried to give signal to said ship. Shackleton rescues them, and they are all survive. Lansing writes, "It had been four months and six days since the Caird had left, and there was not a man among them who still believed seriously that she had survived the journey to South Georgia." This shows that when the men had lost all hope, they were saved. This conclusion represents an archetype in fiction portrayed in real life. That is everyone living happily ever after. None of the crew has died, and the worst off are simply missing their feet. For the long journey they've been on, that is a great outcome.

Part VII

Jack Bauer

Shackleton and his crew reach South Georgia, but are on the wrong side of the island. Lansing, the narrator,  writes, "Yet even in that small moment of victory, tragedy threatened. The surf inside the cove was especially heavy. It had swung the Caird's stern around, and she was pounding against the rocks." This shows that whenever life seems to be getting better for the crew, it somehow always finds a way to become worse. He realizes that he must get to the bay where the whalers are located. He and his crew take a few days rest, then decide to sail about six miles to another bay. From there, Shackleton and two other men go on a mad dash to the whaling bay via land. No one else had ever attempted to cross the island in this fashion. They reach the whaling bay after more of the trials and tribulations that Ernest faced throughout his entire journey. He finds the man Storle, who cannot believe his eyes. Shackleton's tenacity, and ability to take everything thrown at him head on reminded me of Jack Bauer on the show 24. They both face seemingly impossible challenges, yet somehow find a way to overcome them.

Part VI

A picture of the rugged Sir Earnest Shackleton

Part VI is all about the rescue team's journey to South Georgia. Their journey is very challenging. The men; however, endure the hardships in order to reach the land. They hurdle many adversities to reach South Georgia. The men are constantly getting battered by the sea, that is freezing onto them, making every movement torturous. Then as if the odyssey isn't difficult enough, they lose their anchor. Then, after they use their first jug of water, they find that the second jug has been contaminated with salt water. Even though the odds are against them, the group lands on South Georgia 522 days after they left it. Lansing chronicles regarding Shackleton, "The truth was that he felt rather out of his element. He had proved himself on land. He had demonstrated there beyond all doubt his ability to pit his matchless tenacity against the elements-and win. But the sea is a different ssort of enemy. Unlike the land where courage and the simple will to endure can often see a man through, the struggle against the sea is an act of physical combat, and there is no escape. It is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man never actually wins; the most that he can hope for is not to be defeated." This shows that Shackleton is a round character, with deep complexities.

Part V Chapters 4-6

A composite photograph/drawing of the crew's hut

The men begin to get used to life on the Elephant Island. At first, they attempt to cut into a glacier to make a cave for shelter. The cave ends up being dug, but they find that the sides melt from the men's body heat. They then turn to find a new shelter. They pile up rocks, and put the boats overhead to create shelters. Neither they or we know not what has happened to Shackleton and his rescue team. The men live, in relative comfort,  for months, not knowing whether or not Shackleton has reached South Georgia. In the meanwhile, they live life as usual for most of the time. They do decide; however, that Blackboro's foot, infected with gangreen must be amputated. They are able to do this quickly, and as cleanly as they can. The men are then treated to a special celebration on MidWinter's day. They eat well, and are thoroughly entertained by the acts certain members of the crew puts on. James puts on a near limerick singing "My name is Frankie-O; my hut's on Elephant Isle. The wall's without a single brick, the roof's without a tile. ut nevertheless, you must confess, for many and many a mile, It's the most palatial dwelling place you'll find on Elephant Isle. After their celebration, morale comes to an all time low. The men begin to think that Shackleton will never come back, leaving them stuck on Elephant Isle.

Part V Chapters 1-3

A Group of Seals

The crew has finally reached land. Their death defying voyage to Elephant Island is over, and the men can have what they crave most, sleep. James writes "Turned in and slept, as we had never slept before, absolute dead dreamless sleep, oblivious of wet sleeping bags, lulled by croaking penguins." This shows just how integral sleep is to the human life. The men had been rowing for days straight without a chance of sleep. The men can finally become comfortable as they are able to procure four seals, and need not worry about food. Then, Shackleton tells the men that they must leave and go to another beach about seven miles away, for, if the storms get worse, they could become lost underwater. Just as they begin to get comfortable, the men once again have to sail in the freezing antarctic conditions exposed to the elements, and likely to get even more frostbitten. When the men reach their new island they capture seventy-seven penguins. Then, Shackleton gives news that he and a party of five men would attempt to reach South Georgia Island. Before they leave, Shackleton gives responsibility, of the crew, should he not return to Frank Wild. Then, Shackleton sets out to reach South Georgia. In this, Shackleton leaves an implication that he may not returnl

Part IV

A map of Elephant Island

This section of the book chronicles the crew's journey by sea. They go out on the three boats, into the frozen antarctic waters. Their journey is perilous, the crew is battered by the water, and frozen in place. They begin to get frostbitten, with Greenstreet's feet becoming almost entirely frostbitten. The ships soon decide to split up, with the Docker going out on it's own, while the Caird and the Willis went tethered together. The men row to exhaustion trying to get to Elephant Island. The men become dehydrated, and seasick, making an already difficult journey all the worse. Their exhaustion finally pays off however when they reach Elephant Island. Lancing writes, "For the first time in 497 days they were on land. Solid, unsinkable immovable blessed land. This seems to be the turning point in the story, for all the rest of it, they were either in the endurance, stuck on a floe, or in their life ships struggling to get to land.

Part III Chapters 4-6

A life boat of the Titanic

The crew's food supply is beginning to reach an all time low. They are quickly running out of food. Some of the men even joke about cannibalism. When the mens' spirits are at an all time low, they see land. It is one of the tiny danger islets 42 miles away from the men. They know, however; that because of the condition of the ice ahead they will not be able to reach the land. With the lack of food, and the inability to go to land, the men have little motivation to do anything, but Just when it seems the crew is going to run out of food, they sight two seals, killing one. Then, the floe splits. The men are able to work through it and another split without to much trouble. Then, Wild sees a sea leopard, and is able to kill it for nearly 1,000 pounds of food. Lansing writes, "With one bullet it, seemed, Wild had changed the whole complexion of their lives." The dogs as well are shot for food. The swell then breaks up even more, forcing the crew to decide whether or not to ship off in their boats. The going out on lifeboats, made me think of the titanic. The people that would survive the wreck would have to get into a life boat first, and as that represented life for the people who were on the titanic, it also represents life for the crew of the endurance because it can bring them to land.
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