Endurance Part I Chapters 1-4




Ernest Shackleton





Alfred Lansing immediately demands a reader's attention in the beginning of his

novel, Endurance. The first chapter reveals the hardships of the crew as their

only shelter becomes trapped in the ice and the men are forced to abandon the

vessel. The first chapters not only tell of the ship's demise, but also its beginning.

Ernest Shackleton was an experienced explorer and the leader of the voyage.



However, he sometimes appeared to be the antithesis of a good leader.Shackleton was undeniably irresponsible. His decision to hire his crew based merely on looks and a few questions was not only unfair, but could have proved to be very detremental to his voyage. However, Shackleton's intuition never seemed to be wrong. Perhaps this is what made him such a spectacular leader. The crew of Endurance had great faith in Shackleton.

"...but when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems no way out, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton."



This quote, a tribute to Shackleton, describes perfectly the crews' feelings about their leader. Shackleton was the type of leader that inspired his followers. They put their trust in him, certain he could lead them through anything. To me, this quote describes what I would want in a leader. Among many other qualities, a leader must be someone his followers can rely on in a desperate situation. This quote strongly reminds me of a speech I heard in the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V. King Henry gives an inspirational speech to his army before the St. Crispin's Day battle. Although the army was outnumbered and dishearted, Henry's speech brought forth their courage and strength they needed to win the battle. Henry was a leader to whom his people could look to in times of hardship This is similar to Shackleton's leadership. He was the kind of leader to inspire trust in his crew.