The Crack (Chapters 1-3 of Part III)

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing

"But Shackleton was not an ordinary individual.  He was a man who believed completely in his own invincibility, and to whom defeat was a reflection of personal inadequacy.  What might have been an act of reasonable caution to the average person was to Shackleton a detestable admission that failure was a possibility."
page 103

Despite Shackleton's earnest efforts to preserve peace within the crew at their new and permanent camp, his ego threatened to undo his efforts.  He can't face even the idea of failure, which in this instance was running out of food stores.  He convinced himself that there was enough food to see them through their situation.  Slain seals were even ordered to be left where they were by Shackleton, unable to accept the fact that they needed to hunt in order to survive.  His refusal to allow an increase in food supplies made some of the crew lose trust in him.

While reading this section, I noticed something about me that connected me with the rest of the crew.  Because I have to choose a quote and an example of a literary term, finding those things is my chief concern while reading.  However, I have noticed that I tend to choose quotes and literary term examples from the beginning of the section, because I fear that there won't be another opportunity later in the chapter.  Yes. I am a hoarder. 

I'm not that kind of hoarder!

Like the crew, I am looking for any opportunity to fulfill my obligations and needs as quickly as possible, because I fear that waiting will only make me miss my opportunity.

There is something I find peculiar in Shackleton's behavior and attitude.  Although he was unwilling to admit that the crew might be in need of more food, he authorized the killing of many of the crew's dogs.  Perhaps this act shows that he was not too stubborn.  Shackleton's order, although made in the interest of the survival of the crew through ensuring a decrease in food consumption, further alienated his crew.  The crew was faced with a dilemma.  "Then on January 13, a rumor spread that Shackleton was considering killing the dogs to ease the drain on the food supplies . . . .  But the fundamental, underlying factor in these discussions was that, for many men, the dogs were more than so many pounds of pulling power on the trail; there was a deep emotional attachment involved."  The crew had to choose between starving to death and killing the dogs, who earned the love of most of the crew through loyal service.  Most of the dogs were eventually killed.  Although it ensured the crew's survival, their morale dropped dangerously.

Because of the unpopular decisions made by Shackleton and ennui (Look! I remembered a vocabulary word), the crew could not acknowledge, with happiness, the progress made by the ice floe toward Paulet Island and safety.

The chip had expanded into a crack.  Will the crack allow the crew to shatter?