Endurance Part V Chapters 1-3

the James Caird

After six days of continuous rowing, the crew finally landed on Elephant Island. Almost immediately the island proves to be full of its own downsides. The blizzards on the island proved so bad that the men where forced to take their tents down for fear of them being carried off by the winds. Shackleton's decision to take a boat to South Georgia in hopes of finding rescue did not come as a surprise to the crew. To the contrary, it was obvious to the men that Shackleton's plan was their only hope. Shackleton's dilemma was not when or where to sail, but who he would choose to accompany him. Shackleton not only had to think in terms of who would be helpful on his journey, but also who the rest of the men would need to survive on the island. Shackleton could not take his five best men, leaving the rest to fend for themselves on the treacherous island. However, a helpful or unhelpful crew could mean the difference between getting rescued or not.

"Shackleton had already made up his mind, after long discussions with Wild, not only as to who should be taken, but who should not be left behind."

Mexican immigrants

Shackleton was forced to split up his men in order to hopefully find rescue. This is a hard decision for any leader, as it goes aganist many instincts telling you to always stay together. Shackleton's postition is not that different from many people's today. Thousands of immigrants come to America every year hoping for a better life for them and their families. However, many of these men and women are forced to split up their families due to financial strain. It is very common for one of the parent's to move to America first, sometimes for up to years, before they can afford to send for the rest of their families. This could not be an easy decision for anyone. It risks so much, not to mention the pain of seperation. However, these brave people do it because they hope in the long run it will be in their best interest. Similarly, Shackleton is afraid of what will come in the future, both to his team in the Caird and the men stranded on the island. However, Shackleton takes the risk because he believes it is the only way to safely get them home.