Summer Homework, Alfred Lansing, Endurance, Part IV, Chapters Four-Five, Turning Point, Tone

As the arctic storms plague the terrified crew members on their journey to Elephant Island, a few crew members of the crew show extraordinary courage and leadership to help the crew survive the trials that the sea throws at them. Not only did the leadership of the crew members keep the crew alive, but also help increase the morale and the unity of the crew as a whole.

"It was the merest handhold, 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep. A meager grip on a savage coast, exposed to the full fury of the sub-arctic ocean. but no matter-- they were on land . For the first time in 497 days they were on land. Solid, unsinkable, immovable, blessed land(Page 175)."

The crew reaches Elephant Island, the first piece of land that they had seen in over a year. This seems to be a Turning Point- (A point in a work in which a very significant change occurs) in the story where the crew is out of the woods. This assumption is wrong though because the island is not frequently visited and the island is desolate.

The Tone- ( the attitude of a writer, usually prompted, toward the subject or audience) that the writer set is one of hope. Hope that the crew would resolve the issues and reach land and that rescue would be swift.

This scene reminds me of the scene of the film Black-hawk Down when the UN soldiers showed up to escort the Americans back to the safe-zone. The Americans were filled with hope when the UN carriers showed up to save the Americans, the same hope that the Crew of the Endurance felt when they set foot on solid land.

Scene from the film Blackhawk Down (2001)