Daunting tasks are achieved incrementally. Lao Tzu once said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." For Shackleton, the journey to South Georgia began with setting sail. Throughout the voyage, the crew focused not on the final destination, but they focused on what they were facing at the time: "Instead, life was reckoned in periods of a few hours, or possibly only a few minutes-- an endless succession of trials leading to deliverance from the particular hell of the moment."
The men were free of expectations and limitations of civilized society, so they did not need to focus on the final goal. They thought about whether they could get over this next wave, whether they could kill this seal, whether they could make camp, and every small goal accomplished was an absolute victory for them. Every little bit helped, and there were no qualifications for goals.They knew that every wave passed, every camp successfully made, and every night weathered would be personally celebrated in regard to the fact they they weren't dead.
One similarity to this concept is the plot of Forrest Gump. In the movie, Forrest had small goals that were made on the spot and used his natural ability to run, whether it was running for a touchdown or saving Bubba in Vietnam. The small goals earned him many rewards, such as meeting with the president. Whether the final goal is achieving fame or surviving in the Arctic, small goals add up to large victories.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
[Lansing] (Endurance) Theme Four: Variable Conditions (Vocabulary Word: Mood)
The saying "Time waits for no one" applies to last-minute hesitancy in facing a situation that requires a decision. In many cases, Shackleton and his crew faced both situations that required exact timing and situations where they could do nothing but wait, hoping that nothing terrible would strike them in a time of vulnerability. Living conditions varied as well, ranging from the optimistic living at Ocean Camp to the misery of sailing to Elephant Island. Lansing changes the mood of the narration according to the conditions the crew was facing. One example of the notion of defeat is denoted in the opening paragraphs of part three when Patience Camp was established: "Many of them, it seemed, finally grasped for the first time just how desperate things really were. More correctly, they became aware of their own inadequacy, of how utterly powerless they were... Shackleton strove so unceasingly to imbue them with, a basic faith in themselves."
For some, the conditions did not matter. Shackleton was described as extremely optimistic along with other crewmembers, such as McCarthy during the voyage to South Georgia in part six, but there were also pessimists, such as Orde-Lees, who gave consideration to the possible reality that one of Shackleton's audacious plans had failed, especially on Elephant Island. Is self-confidence, the basic faith in oneself, related to this idea that some had inextinguishable optimism or pessimism?
The concept of accepting oneself entirely is difficult to find. Having confidence in one's own abilities creates an inspirational work ethic that creates the willpower needed to push further, harder, and more consistently. It is the suppression of this individuality that creates a lulling society where everyone is expected to be similar. One type of archetypal plot is how the actions of one unique individual or a group of unique individuals stands up against the monotonous world in which they live. Ayn Rand's Anthem, George Orwell's 1984, and Isaac Asimov's I, Robot all center around the protagonist fighting against innumerable odds to re-establish liberty and freedom. The video above is a scene from Irobot that tells why the robots show human qualities, including "seeking out the light." Is this the same optimism that Shackleton seeks to imbue in his crew? It is a drive to improve their current condition, no matter the cost.
For some, the conditions did not matter. Shackleton was described as extremely optimistic along with other crewmembers, such as McCarthy during the voyage to South Georgia in part six, but there were also pessimists, such as Orde-Lees, who gave consideration to the possible reality that one of Shackleton's audacious plans had failed, especially on Elephant Island. Is self-confidence, the basic faith in oneself, related to this idea that some had inextinguishable optimism or pessimism?
The concept of accepting oneself entirely is difficult to find. Having confidence in one's own abilities creates an inspirational work ethic that creates the willpower needed to push further, harder, and more consistently. It is the suppression of this individuality that creates a lulling society where everyone is expected to be similar. One type of archetypal plot is how the actions of one unique individual or a group of unique individuals stands up against the monotonous world in which they live. Ayn Rand's Anthem, George Orwell's 1984, and Isaac Asimov's I, Robot all center around the protagonist fighting against innumerable odds to re-establish liberty and freedom. The video above is a scene from Irobot that tells why the robots show human qualities, including "seeking out the light." Is this the same optimism that Shackleton seeks to imbue in his crew? It is a drive to improve their current condition, no matter the cost.
[Lansing] (Endurance) Theme Three: Diversity (Vocabulary word: Antithesis)
An intensely debated question is: "Can two people be exactly similar to one another?" My belief on this topic is that two people can superficially appear similar, but when desperate situations occur that bring out the inner self, no two people are alike. Shackleton's skeleton crew aboard the Endurance was a mixture of hardened seamen, experienced arctic navigators, academic scholars, scientists, specialists, a cook, and even a stowaway. The group worked cohesively when conditions were favorable, but some separated in different ways when conditions turned unfavorable and true characters were exhibited. McNeish refused to pull sleds because he thought he was no longer legally required to follow Shackleton's command after the Endurance sank, Orde-Lees refused to row because of his sea-sickness, Greenstreet secretly blamed Shackleton for food shortages, all of these examples showed the true characters of a crew under pressure.
These methods of contention reveal another aspect of the crew's diversity, personality. Choice of career, experiences, and backgrounds all contribute to the individual personalities of the crew. Backgrounds ranged from poor but strong workers to accomplished academics seeking adventure. The crew eventually picked up on these clashing personalities in part two: "As for James, he probably never should have gone with the expedition at all. He had an academic background and a rather sheltered upbringing. He was a scholar and an extremely capable and dedicated scientist, but in practical matters he was very unhandy and a little unwilling... In personality, he was roughly the antithesis of Shackleton." Lansing describes not only clashing personalities, but also opposing ones in which he describes them as antithetical. Literally, antithesis is defined as, "a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced." Metaphorically, the balance between James' and Shackleton's personalities could be described as opposite, meaning the range of personalities is also diverse.
I once attended a week-long leadership camp with an assigned group of people that I had never met before. Of the group, there were two pyromaniacs, an amateur comedian, an athlete, a homesick boy, and a dictatorial leader. There were clashes over what to do, proper procedures, and food portions. It was the diversity and personalities of the group, much like Shackleton's crew, that caused the clashes, but both groups made it through in the end.
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| Arguments, disagreements, and clashes over what should be done are common occurrences, even for a crew stranded in the middle of one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. |
These methods of contention reveal another aspect of the crew's diversity, personality. Choice of career, experiences, and backgrounds all contribute to the individual personalities of the crew. Backgrounds ranged from poor but strong workers to accomplished academics seeking adventure. The crew eventually picked up on these clashing personalities in part two: "As for James, he probably never should have gone with the expedition at all. He had an academic background and a rather sheltered upbringing. He was a scholar and an extremely capable and dedicated scientist, but in practical matters he was very unhandy and a little unwilling... In personality, he was roughly the antithesis of Shackleton." Lansing describes not only clashing personalities, but also opposing ones in which he describes them as antithetical. Literally, antithesis is defined as, "a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced." Metaphorically, the balance between James' and Shackleton's personalities could be described as opposite, meaning the range of personalities is also diverse.
I once attended a week-long leadership camp with an assigned group of people that I had never met before. Of the group, there were two pyromaniacs, an amateur comedian, an athlete, a homesick boy, and a dictatorial leader. There were clashes over what to do, proper procedures, and food portions. It was the diversity and personalities of the group, much like Shackleton's crew, that caused the clashes, but both groups made it through in the end.
[Lansing] (Endurance) Theme Two: Justified Savagery (Vocabulary Word: Imagery)
Hunting was a common occurrence for the crew of the Endurance. Even while the ship was locked between two floes, hunting was a job intended to minimize the consumption of the provisions in the ship's cargo. The crew's provisions were extremely limited after the loss of the ship, and even though some supplies was salvaged from the endurance, hunting for food eventually became a necessity. As their situation became more desperate, the methods of procuring meat became more brutal, and Lansing provided a kind of shock imagery to accompany that changing brutality: "Killing the seal was usually a bloody business...This involved approaching the animal cautiously, then stunning it across nose with a ski or a broken oar and cutting its jugular vein so that it bled to death... Another technique was to brain the seal with a pickaxe."
At first the crew was reluctant about killing the seals in such a way, but the need for food allowed survivalist instincts to take over. The need eventually became so dire that Shackleton called for the gradual killing of their dogs for meat. Despite the emotional attachments to the dogs, the crew followed Shackleton's orders. When their food was almost depleted, the killing of a sea leopard had Shackleton calling for feasting on its liver. To me, this seemed like justified savagery, allowing their instincts to take over and ignore personal feelings in order to survive.
This struggle to adapt to a survivalist mindset reminded me of chapter four of William Golding's Lord of the Flies when Jack and several others bring back a dead pig and celebrate in a primitive and almost ritualistic form. During the celebration they chanted, "Kill the pig, cut her throat, bash her in." Ralph and Piggy then confronted Jack in saying the the celebration was immature. In both situations, both groups eventually embraced the ways of survival instead of being civilized. Jack's chant and Shackleton's call for feasting on the liver both show a livid imagery that both Golding and Lansing depicted in detail.
At first the crew was reluctant about killing the seals in such a way, but the need for food allowed survivalist instincts to take over. The need eventually became so dire that Shackleton called for the gradual killing of their dogs for meat. Despite the emotional attachments to the dogs, the crew followed Shackleton's orders. When their food was almost depleted, the killing of a sea leopard had Shackleton calling for feasting on its liver. To me, this seemed like justified savagery, allowing their instincts to take over and ignore personal feelings in order to survive.
This struggle to adapt to a survivalist mindset reminded me of chapter four of William Golding's Lord of the Flies when Jack and several others bring back a dead pig and celebrate in a primitive and almost ritualistic form. During the celebration they chanted, "Kill the pig, cut her throat, bash her in." Ralph and Piggy then confronted Jack in saying the the celebration was immature. In both situations, both groups eventually embraced the ways of survival instead of being civilized. Jack's chant and Shackleton's call for feasting on the liver both show a livid imagery that both Golding and Lansing depicted in detail.
[Lansing] (Endurance) Theme One: Shackleton (Vocabulary Word: Round Character)
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| Sir Ernest Shackleton (left) and Endurance (right) |
Throughout the bout for survival, Shackleton changes in thought patterns and actions. During each stretch of the the journey, Shackleton learned the necessity of making calculated risks while still fearing for the safety of his crew. In part two, the crew gave Shakleton a clandestine nickname: 'Shackleton's aversion to tempting fate was well known. This attitude had earned him the nickname "Old Cautious" or "Cautious Jack.' Shackleton went from the position of taking no risks on the ice to allowing separation of the crew on Elephant Island, and at the near end of the journey, he suggested that the hike crew should slide down the edge of a glacier: " They had to get lower-- and with all possible haste. So he suggested they slide. Worsley and Crean were stunned-- especially for such an insane solution to be coming from Shackleton."
This contrast can also be compared to the decisions made under his current state of mind. For example, Shackleton made the erroneous decision to leave three seals behind in the optimistic belief that they had enough food and that he did not want the food to rot. That repercussions of that decision were exacerbated when the camp nearly ran out of food. From that point onward, Shackleton allowed the crew to take some risks, such as when he authorized the Caird to separate from the Docker and the Wills in order to scout for land ahead. This dynamic change suggests that Shackleton is a round character because he changes over the course of the voyage.
Conditions are not always as they appear. Sometimes the less rational approaches and calculated risks can be the more beneficial. I was in a single person tent once during a stormy night. There was a slight ravine in the ground under my tent, and water began to seep into my tent from that ravine. My towel was already wet from the day's activities, so in a half-awake daze, I threw an old shirt under my sleeping bag. In the morning, I found that the shirt has not only absorbed the water, but it had also leveled out the tent and prevented more water from entering the tent. Even though separation was extremely dangerous, Shackleton allowed the crew of the Caird to sail ahead, yet the Caird found land and reunited with the Docker and the Wills. Shackleton's calculated risk had proven to be successful.
[Lansing] (Endurance) Part Seven and Epilogue: Resolution (Vocabulary Word: Dilemma)
The Caird and its crew miraculously land on South Georgia, but the journey is still not over. Shackleton now faces the daunting challenge of reaching Stromness either by a one hundred and thirty mile voyage by sea or a twenty-nine mile hike through impassable terrain. Both options were unfavorable, posing a dilemma to Shackleton, but he soon figured that the Caird was no longer seaworthy and chose to hike. Once again, he separated his crew, taking only himself, Worsley, and Crean. The hike was perilous, forcing many difficult and risky decisions on Shackleton's account, but they managed to arrive at Stromness and arrange for the retrieval of the rest of his crew.
Often, dilemmas are part of everyday life. They pose as equally difficult decisions towards either favorable or unfavorable ends. Dilemmas could range anywhere from choosing between twix or milky way to cleaning a teacher's room for an hour or paying a visit to the Dean of Students. The choice, depending on its severity, is made by considering the effects or repercussions of the decision. The cause and effect of the decisions is sourced from The Butterfly Effect, sensitive dependence on initial conditions. This concept states that the decision makes its own effects. A dilemma forms when the estimation of those effects intersect. For Shackleton, the decision between the voyage and the hike both carried a high chance of dying.
Often, dilemmas are part of everyday life. They pose as equally difficult decisions towards either favorable or unfavorable ends. Dilemmas could range anywhere from choosing between twix or milky way to cleaning a teacher's room for an hour or paying a visit to the Dean of Students. The choice, depending on its severity, is made by considering the effects or repercussions of the decision. The cause and effect of the decisions is sourced from The Butterfly Effect, sensitive dependence on initial conditions. This concept states that the decision makes its own effects. A dilemma forms when the estimation of those effects intersect. For Shackleton, the decision between the voyage and the hike both carried a high chance of dying.
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
[Lansing] (Endurance) Part Six: Tide (Vocabulary Word: Diction)
The tides have turned, both literally and metaphorically. The odds are stacked against the crew of the Caird. A twenty two foot boat must navigate nearly a thousand miles of treacherous, rolling waves to literally hit a bulls-eye only a few miles wide. Even the crew of the Caird thought the objective was bleak: "Only very occasionally did they think about South Georgia. It was so remote, so Utopian that it was almost depressing to contemplate. No man could have endured with just that to keep him going." To them, land had become a symbol, an out-of-reach object that became the singular focus of the crew yet impossible to optimistically focus on. Lansing described South Georgia as Utopian, meaning that to find it would require intensive determination to find but seems unlikely to find even for the most seasoned navigator.
In etymology, the word Utopia comes from the Greek ou (not) and topos (a place). Definition of "Utopia" Coined by Sir Thomas More in 1516, this word described the perfect society on a small, remote island in his socio-political frame-narrative Utopia. In one word, Lansing effectively described the crew's feeling towards South Georgia while being consistent with the initial use of the word in depicting a small island. Lansing uses precise diction in this case in making South Georgia symbolic to the Utopia's impossibility of existence. This also foreshadows that South Georgia is not a utopia, meaning there are still difficulties ahead, such as the mountainous terrain faced in the next chapter. Although indirect, the use of Utopia shows that the crew longed to be there, but felt that they would not arrive there; hence, the etymology of Utopia, "not a place," is used correctly in both the denotative and connotative sense of the word.
In etymology, the word Utopia comes from the Greek ou (not) and topos (a place). Definition of "Utopia" Coined by Sir Thomas More in 1516, this word described the perfect society on a small, remote island in his socio-political frame-narrative Utopia. In one word, Lansing effectively described the crew's feeling towards South Georgia while being consistent with the initial use of the word in depicting a small island. Lansing uses precise diction in this case in making South Georgia symbolic to the Utopia's impossibility of existence. This also foreshadows that South Georgia is not a utopia, meaning there are still difficulties ahead, such as the mountainous terrain faced in the next chapter. Although indirect, the use of Utopia shows that the crew longed to be there, but felt that they would not arrive there; hence, the etymology of Utopia, "not a place," is used correctly in both the denotative and connotative sense of the word.
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| A map of More's Utopia. |
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