Section Two of Part One (ch. 4-8)

The Endurance has now become trapped in the pack ice and winter is rapidly approaching.  Shackleton decided to give the order to prepare to wait out the winter. Winter was a very uneventful time for the crew because there just was not much to do. "There simply wasn't much for the men to do. The winter schedule required of them only about three hours' work a day..." This quote helps describe the monotonous winter days. While reading this passage I even thought to myself that three hours of work seemed like maximum anyone would ever have to work since the boat is stuck fast in the ice. A mood of boredom sweeps into the story, yet there is still a frightful mood of the approaching winter. I can relate to this feeling of boredom because we all have felt it at some point or another. The only thing that I can not fathom is the length of their dull state. Later, the reader receives information on many of the different crew members. This information is not crucial to the story, but it provides a personal feel to each crew member.

Winter passes by with little concern for food, but there is a massive blizzard in the middle of July. The blizzard provided a little scare, but it was nothing of real concern. The crew passes time by acting out certain plays or musicals and talent shows. Some of the crew members even play a dice game in which members would bet on which crew member would have to pay for part of their return celebration.

The Endurance wrecked in the ice

Spring arrives, and the crew begins the chop away at the ice to free the Endurance. The ship continues through the Weddell Sea encountering large floes of ice. The ship encounters some serious pressure, but the crew was able to manage it. However, a crack begins to form in the bow of the ship and it gets larger with each progressing day. Eventually, the flooding water becomes too much for the pumps and the crew to handle, and the order is given for the crew to abandon ship.