Nathaniel Philbrickis,' In The Heart of the Sea, Tragedy of The Whale-Ship Essex
It is an ancient Mariner, In The Heart of the Sea, Tragedy of The Whale-Ship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrickis a fictionalized account of a historical maritime event which took place in 1820. Starting in Nantucket Island, the whaling capital of the world, the story recounts the happenings of a whale-ship commanded by Captain George Pollard Jr. up until the ship was rammed by a 85 foot long sperm whale in the Western Pacific. The surviving men sailed 4500 nautical miles south-east to be saved by other ships on the Chilean coast. They spent a total of 93 days with little fresh water and dried bread in the baking sun of the Equator. Reduced to cannibalism, the book charts their slow and inevitable decline into madness and eventual death; of the twenty two men who set out originally only 5 returned home. In its time this story captured the imagination of millions, the vicious and revengeful spirit of the whale wrecking havoc on its persecutors, and driving them to wander the desolation of the burning waves of the ocean. This was the account which inspired the 'Moby Dick' of Herman Melville, and numerous poems and epics. The extraordinary thing I found out was that the Nantucket whalers were all Quakers, usually a people much committed to peace and ideals of harmony, once they set sail their demeanor became that of bloodthirsty and savage hunters… eager for killing! Philbrick presents and amazing and accurate portrait of the American society barely 30 years after the revolution. Nantucket itself was a harbor for runaway slaves seeking employment, and were to all records of the time accorded due respect and dignity. However the native Wampanoags gradually diminished in numbers over the years. It is difficult to objectively view past historical events such as these, without resorting to modern systems of morals and ethics. Certainly it is absolutely horrifying that our ancestors very nearly exterminated an entire species of (magnificent) creature, their motive was purely the accumulation of wealth, and in the final analysis one wonders what it was all about; the average life a sailor was absolutely miserable, hard in aspects which are well beyond our appreciation and the ultimate rewards merely dust blowing in the wind. This book certainly gives some food for thought, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a slight interest in history, touching as it does on an active part of the industrial revolution occurring throughout the world at that time. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this book is the investigation of human psychology when placed within an extreme survival context, an environment which lends itself to the most bizarre and barely imaginable actions. And for those who tend thoughts of hunger and thirst, I ask them to read this book first and then complain!
SHELFLIFEMAGAZINE ARCHIVES: issue #002 |