Endurance Part VI: Ch. 4-6

     All six men had to hurry in order to get the boat stabilized without the anchor. They made some progress throughout the night and by the morning, they saw that they were about halfway to South Georgia. Unfortunately, their sleeping bags had become so smelly and rotted that they threw two of them overboard and they only had enough good drinking water to last them another week. The sun came out for two days so they were able to dry out some of their items at least a little. However, on May 6, a huge gale threatened to sweep them off course and they were almost sunk by a huge wave that hit the boat, filling it with water. The men had to continually bale and pump water out just to stay afloat. They see a huge albatross flying over them and feel mocked by its grace and beauty even in the terrible storm.

An albatross flying through a storm

     I noticed that one of the men is definitely a flat character throughout the novel. McCarthy is still extremely optimistic even when the odds were so turned against them. He started out this way when he first stepped on the Endurance and now, so close to their destination but still so far away, he still comments on how beautiful the sun is when it decides to make an appearance. Something else I admire is the whole crews' determination and will to survive. I would imagine that it would have been much easier to just give up but they keep fighting and are still sure they will make it.

"But sufficiently provoked, there is hardly a creature on God's earth that ultimately won't turn and attempt to fight, regardless of the odds...They were possessed by an angry determination to see the journey through-no matter what...and now, by God, they deserved to make it."

     When they were finally close enough to see land, another heartbreaking discovery was made. They could not land due to reefs that could have torn the boat apart. Their hopes sunk as they tried to work out another route and still land safely. Yet again the wind picked up and tried to throw them into the reefs. It took everyone to keep the boat facing the wind and not be blown backward. Finally, 522 days after they first sailed from South Georgia, the men found a safe passage and landed on a small beach. Exhausted but extremely proud of themselves, they found a stream of fresh water and drank.