"One of the Greatest True Stories Ever Told"

"The Essex disaster is not a tale of adventure." ~~Epilogue

And so the story ends. But the ramifications continue even today, I think. I can't wait to discuss the book in class. I'm interested to know what you thought of the whaling industry, the quest for profit, and these men's story. A few things I noted:

• The average adult human would provide about sixty-six pounds of edible meat.
• The lottery system in Pollard's boat when they were trying to figure out who would die and become everyone else's meal
• The irony of Coffin's name when he became the first to die by lottery
• Pollard's continued failure on sea, and Chase's continued failure on land

I thought Philbrick did an excellent job with the Epilogue. He notes that Nantucket is now a posh get-away and abode for the rich and the idle. People come there to shop, to tour, and to learn about whaling. But Philbrick states that it is the "glorification" of whaling that is taught, not the kinds of things your read about in this book. 

I love the way he describes their voyage (after the sinking) as "wandering the watery desert." Isn't that a great way of putting it? Very oxymoronic. If you don't know that word, look it up!

So, now that you've finished the book, I have a little assignment for you that will be due ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, AUGUST 7, ALONG WITH YOUR BOOK. I will not take anything LATE. Put your book and your assignment in your book bag before orientation so that you have it. 

OK! Here is your assignment. From the options listed below, CHOOSE ONE and write a ONE PAGE (college ruled notebook paper), DOUBLE SPACED REFLECTION. A reflection means your thoughts, your educated and imaginative thoughts, on the subject. USE AN EXAMPLE FROM THE BOOK and an EXAMPLE FROM SOMETHING ELSE YOU'VE READ, OR SEEN (photo, movie, etc.), OR IMAGINED. If you have any questions, email me. Be sure to read all these directions!

OPTIONS: (choose ONE)

1.  The quality of HOPE. Important? Necessary? What do YOU think? Some had it. Some lost it. Does hope make a difference in one's life?

2.  Our DEPENDENCE ON OIL. You can compare whale oil to fuel oil. Same? Different?

3.  The issue of ECOLOGY. Was it cruel to hunt the sperm whale, almost to endangered species status? Do we have a responsibility to wildlife, or does PROFIT TRUMP EVERYTHING?

I can't wait to see all of you on Friday, August 7, I know, it's too soon, right?! We'll get through it, together. Let's call the first day REVENGE OF THE SUMMER. Don't forget to bring your annotated book and your reflection!

Enjoy your last few days!

Mrs. C.

Three Boats. Separation. Two Dead. No Land in Sight.

"The Scream" by Edvard Munch

LOOK AT THIS FAMOUS PAINTING. This is what I would look like if I had been a sailor on the Essex! Ha! As a side note, did you know that art critics think that this painting (note the crazy colors of the sky) is a response to the weird skies caused by the explosion of a volcano in the Philippines called Krakatoa. Of course, at the time, people in Scandinavia knew nothing about the explosion; they just knew that the sky was a death red.

OK--enough of that. I digress!

Hopefully, you see that, by now, the sailors are in serious trouble. They don't know where they're going. They are ruled more by superstition and heresay than scientific knowledge. They don't really trust one another, and the captain and his first mate are at odds, causing division. No drinkable water. The turtles have been bloodthirstily consumed. The hardtack has been contaminated by salt water. Some of the men decide to stay on an island rather than get back in the water, even though the island has nothing much to offer. And now, Joy and Peterson are dead and their bodies committed to the sea.

Things are about to change, however. And I'd like you to think about what you'd do. What would YOU do?

You will finish the book by the time of our last blog together (next blog on 7/31), at which time I will give you a little assignment and help you get ready for the first day of school. Meanwhile, let me SAY THIS AGAIN!

WHEN YOU POST ON THE LAST CHAPTERS (11-14) AND THE EPILOGUE, ONLY COMMENT ON THIS POST! EVEN IF YOU'RE COMMENTING ON EARLIER CHAPTERS, KEEP ALL THE CONVERSATION ON THIS POST!

Chapter 11 - "Games of Chance"

Here, Philbrick is going to give you a brief history of cannibalism (you've been waiting for this, haven't you?!). Read this carefully and think about it. Think about the IRONY (if you don't know what that means, you need to look it up) in the third paragraph on p. 114. THIS IS CRAZY! Or as some of my students like to say---CRAY-CRAY! Note who dies from there on out. Keep track of this with your annotating.

Also notice the break at the bottom of p. 115. Now, the author is going to cut from one boat to the other boat to give you an idea of how each is handling the horrors on board.

On p. 116, how does Chase change (thank goodness!)?

Again note the change on p. 118 signified by the break. Now we're looking at cannibalism and Hendricks's boat.

And, at the break on p. 119, we find a really horrible idea--a death game. Imagine looking at your fellow sailors and thinking, "Who's for dinner tonight?"

Chapter 12 - "In the Eagle's Shadow"

Back to Chase's boat and more cannibalism. Please pay careful attention to the map on p. 125; check out the near hits and many misses (of civilization) and rescue. Look at the path each boat traveled. It's crazy!

Again, Philbrick, by using breaks and little arrows, takes you, the reader, from boat to boat, keeping you informed of each group's actions, which parallel each other in many ways. You may now connect the dots between the preface of the book, when the Dauphin spotted Pollard's boat and what he found inside. You now have the complete story. (see p. 127)

Back to Chase's boat, note that Nickerson is about to lose it and actually DOES lose it, but he doesn't die. There's a picture of the twine that Lawrence made while out on the open ocean (see p. 129 and the photo on the last page of the photo insert section next to p. 69). You can see this if you ever go to New England and visit the Nantucket Historical Association!

How is Chase finally rescued? And back, once again, to Pollard's and Ramsdell's rescue by the Dauphin on p. 133.

Chapter 13 - "Homecoming"

In the remaining portion of the book, Philbrick is now going to tie up the pieces for you, resolving some nagging questions, and raising others.

Pay careful attention to their rescues and reunions. Note their physical appearance and how it affected the crew of the vessels that rescued them. I find it very interesting that only Nantucketers survived on both Chase's and Pollard's boats (p. 137).

On p. 138 and following, the author ties up the loose ends of the three marooned sailors on Henderson Island. And remember---there was one more boat that was separated from Pollard's boat. The story of its fate begins on p. 141.

As you finish this chapter, note their reception on arriving back in Nantucket. How do the townspeople take the news? Welcome or not welcome them? Which of the two, Pollard or Chase, has the hardest time? What do you think of the two men?

Chapter 14 - "Consequences"

This chapter ties up the question of what became of the men. What happens to Pollard, and why does the saying "lightning never strikes twice" not apply to him?

What about Chase? And how does Herman Melville (by the way, WHO IS MELVILLE?! You need to know!) figure into the story of the Essex?

What happens to the rest of the men? And finally, note (beginning on p. 155) how each remaining man met his death and established his legacy.

"Epilogue"

In these few pages, Philbrick is now going to comment on the entire story and give his assessment of the tragedy. Do you agree? Disagree?

What did you think of this true event?

Remember, POST YOUR COMMENTS TO THIS BLOG POST! I look forward to hearing from you by 7/29.

TAKE THAT, ESSEX! - CHAPTERS 4-6

The plot has definitely thickened! Imagine that nose up above you in that picture, ramming your boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, not once--but twice--and actually sinking it. Who could have imagined such a thing? Surely not Pollard, Chase, or any other member of the Essex, but that's exactly what happened. Thank goodness for the smart thinking of William Bond and others.

I cannot fathom being stuck in one of those little whale boats with a little bit of bread, a few turtles, and some sailcloth. Several of you have mentioned the personalities of Pollard and Chase. Pollard seems doomed to fail, but Chase is so arrogant. I can't decide which of the two I would want to sail under. What would you do if you were in that situation? Panic? Cry? Think of Nickerson. He was so young! Your age!

Remember that you will be responsible for the questions I raise in each post. And PLEASE NOTE! Do NOT respond to any post but this current one! Don't go back to the older posts to post! If you need to read them, that's fine, but only post to the current post. That will keep everything simpler!

Notes for the next section:

Chapter 7 - "At Sea"

Note how overloaded each boat was and who was in each boat. Note the items in each boat and how they maintained communication between the three boats. This cannot have been easy! The dietary issues, as well as the problems occurring from exposure to salt water, were serious. How would you have fared?

PICTURE/PHOTOGRAPH BREAK! Be sure to look at them all!

Pay attention to how hard it was for them to "know" where they were. Maps with longitude and latitude were not as they are now! Longitude was especially difficult to figure. You should annotate the information on "dead reckoning" and your big assignment is to figure out where we get the term "log in" for computers! Check out p. 70 for help with this!

Consider what an effect salt had on the body, especially after it infiltrated the bread they had on board. Not a pretty picture. And---the salt water also had dire effects on the boats as well. This was a terrible predicament to be in! After they decided to eat the turtles, note how "blood" thirsty they were. Why?

Again, fate prevailed to keep them away from Tahiti and civilization/rescue. Doomed.

Chapter 8 - "Thirst"

I guess you can figure out this chapter in advance! But, try to go without drinking water or any other drink for a few hours and multiply that in your mind by days. You should annotate the problems that occur from extreme dehydration (without water, literally) on pp. 81-84.

Why was 61-year-old Richard Peterson important to all the men (p. 86)? What does this say about prayer?

Continue to note their physical torments.

Chapter 9 - "The Island"

Another stroke of fate! The men are mistaken in exactly where they have landed, but they are only a couple of hundred miles from civilization--again! Check your map to see where they were. The map is critical!

What is wrong with this island?
What is wrong with Joy?
Who ends up staying on the island? What would you have done? Stayed on the island? Continued on?

Chapter 10 - "The Whisper of Necessity"

Discover what happens to Joy and how they take care of the situation.
On p. 107, right before the 3 asterisks, what are the two choices? How can anyone make such a choice? Put yourself in their place. This really happened, remember.

Who stole bread on Chase's boat, and how would you feel as the boats were separated? Who are the two men who died in this chapter? How were they disposed of?

Happy Reading, and Happy 4th of July!
See you again on July 15th!

Mrs. C.

Chapters 1-3

Wikimedia: Sweet Media Illustrations

Revenge: Chapters 1-3

So, I hope your reading has been non-stressful! I mentioned many observations and tips, as well as assignments in the form of questions in the last post (for chapters 1-3). So far, no one has responded to these things! So, these are things you should note in your annotations. For example, what is a "Nantucket sleigh ride"? What is "ambergris"? Look back through my comments for each chapter and be sure you understand what these things are, and what questions I asked.

What happened in the chapter entitled "Knockdown"? Can you imagine being in a ship and turning over at a 90 degree angle? I'm curious as to how you feel about Pollard and Chase. Who's the stronger leader? With whom would you rather sail? 

Consider how important those whale boats were; they were always in danger of being damaged or obliterated from contact with the whale. After the knockdown, they were short a boat, and the one they picked up in the Azores wasn't in great condition. 

Did you pick up on the fact that the harpoon didn't kill the whale? Did you understand how dangerous and cruel the whole process was? The actual cutting up of the whale was disgusting--the entire ship became slippery and smelly. It penetrated your clothes, hair, etc. 

I also asked  you to check out the diary of Laura Jernegan. What did you find out? It's a great site. Everyone post something you found that you thought was interesting. Or have a discussion about it from person to person! 

In the next three chapters, the Essex gets further and further away from Nantucket as they scour the seas for the elusive whale. Keep referring to the map on pages 26-27.

Notes for Chapters 4-6:

Chapter 4 - "Into the Pacific"

The Essex has made it to the tip of South American (which is VERY close to Antarctica!) without much success. Off the coast of Chile, however, they DO kill several whales. This chapter sets up a twist of "fate," as Philbrick has mentioned all the way through the book. What is that? What do Pollard and Captain Russell from the Aurora discuss? And what does this lead to for the Essex?

Chapter 5 - "The Attack" 

This chapter opens with the Essex near the Galapagos Islands. CHECK THIS ON YOUR MAP! Look how far they've come, and remember, this is way before the Panama Canal was dug. I won't say much about this chapter, as it's the BIG HIT (or two). But notice that such a thing had never been known to happen before. What was the black steward, William Bond, to be commended for AFTER the sinking? Note what they got from the sinking ship. Why did Chase think the whale attacked?

Chapter 6 - "The Plan"

Pay close attention to this chapter. It lays out their path to rescue...or not.

• How did they outfit the whaleboats? What special precautions did they take?
• How did they protect the hardtack? (Also note the drawing of the boats--so small!)
• Note your map to see their choices for travel. What was Pollard's choice? Chase's?
• Whose choice was the fatal one?
• What was the problem with the Nantucketer's suspicions?
• How many men were under Pollard's command? How was each ship commanded, though? See p. 64. What does "autonomous" mean?

Don't forget to check out the Laura Jernegan site. There are many things to click into there, so enjoy and REPORT!

You have two weeks to read and comment. I would like for you guys to look at each other's comments and interact. Also, be sure to comment on THIS POST, not any of the earlier ones! I will not be reading older posts' comments.  Remember that this is a grade that will show up in August.

So, I was in Savannah last year and found this cast iron whale. I immediately thought of this book and had to buy it. You'll see it on my desk in the fall. What do you think? :) Oh, that's my cat, Zoe, staring at the whale. :)

Happy Reading! See you on July 1. :)

Mrs. C

The Preface...and Beyond

We Begin With...The Preface.

How lucky we are to get a preface. Author Nathaniel Philbrick wrote a book called In The Heart of The Sea: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex. Sound familiar? It's 302 pages. He then condensed the book to appeal to a less technical reader, and that's Revenge of the Whale. I just checked, and it appears that Ron Howard is making a movie of the first book. I'll keep you posted!

According to one reviewer (on the first page of this book, at the bottom), this book should appeal to anyone with a sense of adventure or someone who likes historical fiction. I'm hoping that one or the other aspects, or both, will apply to you!

I want to help you understand annotation a little better. Consider it an active participation in the novel, a conversation with the author. Annotation has been around a long time, and it's not meant to slow you down, so I want to work you through the Preface with my annotations and then give you pointers for the next 3 chapters. Here's what my preface looks like (and then I'll explain):

My book-1st page of the Preface

My book-3rd page of Preface

My book-last page of Preface

OK! Here we go! Notice that Philbrick gets us, the readers, interested by not giving away too much and by setting up the story with this one little vignette (preface=pre (before) the face---before the beginning---and vignette (a little story) about spotting this strange boat. If you look at my first page, you can see that I noted that Feb 23, 1821 was the date the boat was discovered floating in the ocean. I note that Philbrick begins with a nice, solid simile (I like that!). The simile gives the idea that the ship is meandering, not in a hurry, but apparently always on the alert. I underlined "Pacific Ocean" and the metaphor that this ocean was "a vast field of warm-blooded oil deposits known as sperm whales." What an interesting way to say that whales contained oil, which provided so many things for consumers and industrialists of the 1800s. I also noted that sperm whales are "the largest toothed whales in existence." That seems important to the story, as well as the fact that one whale weighs 60 tons! That's 120,000 pounds. Don't put me in the water! That's the equivalent of approximately 250 people!

On the first page, I also noted that the task of "transforming a dead whale into oil" included "ripping off its blubber, chopping it up, and boiling it into the high-grade oil that lit the streets and lubricated the machines of the Industrial Age." To think that all of this was done ON THE SHIP is a little mind-boggling. But note that this oil at one time kept everything going--lights, machines, progress! I'm sure you can guess what replaced whale oil...petroleum/crude oil. Once that was discovered, the whaling industry died a pretty swift death.

Notice, too, that "whalemen of the early nineteenth century" were:

• seagoing hunters
• factory workers (on the boat!)
• explorers

For over 100 years, the "headquarters of this global oil business" was in Nantucket, a little island off the coast of New England, now a lovely vacation spot with museums and trendy shopping, etc. You may have been there or have family from this area.

Philbrick then leads us back to the story from the first paragraph. The Dauphin, a Nantucket whaleship, was sailing up the western coast of South America when its lookout saw this small little boat, bobbing in the waves. Note the word "mysterious" (p. viii). It was a strangely fitted whaleboat, built up on the sides, with apparently no one steering it. In the next paragraph, Philbrick again uses the word "mysterious" to describe the boat. He is letting us know that this is NOT NORMAL!

And then---the paragraph beginning with "First they saw bones--human bones--"  Ah! Note the wonderful use of dashes to grab our attention. Not just bones. No! Human bones! And notice the beginning word "First" and later "Then." This descriptive action makes us fellow "lookers" into the boat! The men--can you imagine how they looked? And to think that these men were afraid of their rescuers. This seems to describe a condition you may have heard of: post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). They are afraid and are clutching these "gnawed-over bones, refusing to give them up" and note the simile here, "like two starving dogs found trapped in a pit." 

On the next page (p. ix), I noted that these men will live and tell their story, a story "of a whale with the calculating vengeance of a man." What? You've probably already guessed that this true story is where Herman Melville got the idea for writing one of the greatest books of all time, Moby-Dick.

Another thing to watch out for in reading/annotating is a break in the page. See the 3 dots here? Philbrick is now breaking from the narrative, the story about finding the men, to give us some historical facts that tie into the story. These men found in that strange boat connect to the sinking of the whaleship Essex by a sperm whale in 1821. He tells that, "Of the twenty men who escaped the whale-crushed ship, only eight survived." He also lets us know where he'll be getting much of his information for this book. The ship's first mate, Owen Chase, wrote a book about it (he was one of the men in that strange boat).

However, even more interesting is that in 1960, "an old notebook was found in the attic of a home in Penn Yan, New York." But it took 20 years for that notebook to make its way to a whaling expert, who pieced it all together. This notebook was the narrative of the OTHER guy in that boat, a very young (your age!) cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson. He told his version of the tragedy that that occurred in 1821, but we are only hearing about it 182 years after the fact! Not even Herman Melville knew this view of the story, as he got his second hand information from the son of Owen Chase (the first mate), his sailing mate on a whaling expedition undertaken by the two men. 

Observation and writing have preserved a moment in time! I learned quite a bit from the Preface, and I'm stoked to know the story, so Chapters 1-3, here I come!

Sperm Whale
from kootation.com

So, here are my suggestions for annotating/reading each chapter:

CHAPTER 1: NANTUCKET

• Look at all the pictures, maps, crew, etc. Very important. Give yourself time to "look around." Reading images, charts, pictures is one mark of an advanced reader. This ability will help you in life, and especially with math and those horrid standardized tests.
• This chapter will give you background on the island of Nantucket (find it on the map--KNOW where you are!) and the whaling industry of the 19th century (1800s), as well as specific info on the Essex. 
• Pay careful attention to the bottom of p. 2 and top of p. 3. Note the superstitious nature of the people. Look for the OMENS.
• Note how they outfit the vessel, what they pack and stow.
• Note that there were black sailors as well as white. 
• The theme of OMENS and FATE runs throughout this chapter. Look for them.

CHAPTER 2: KNOCKDOWN

• This chapter introduces us to the crew. Find out what you can about Chase and Pollard, Nickerson and the others. What are their personalities like? Who is strongest? What is their experience level?
• Note the rituals observed on a whaling voyage (one in specific on p. 16). Observe how they were split up, who slept where. Look at the cross-section of the ship on p. 17 and annotate where each group slept (you know, draw arrows and write in the sleeping quarters).
• I think the cure for seasickness (p. 18) would make me even sicker!
• After the break on p. 19, Philbrick begins with another great simile describing the path whale ships took. Find the map on pp. 26-27 and follow p. 19 by looking at the map.
• Why is this chapter entitled KNOCKDOWN? Read the rest of the chapter to find out what happens and see it on the map as well.

CHAPTER 3: FIRST BLOOD

• What are they now short of? What are they looking for when they stop at the Azores?
• On pp. 29-33, follow the order of catching/killing a whale. 
• After the break on p. 33, follow the continuing explanation of harpooning a whale. What's a "Nantucket sleigh ride"?!
• At the bottom of p. 33, Phlbrick notes that the harpoon doesn't KILL the whale. Follow along to see how the "end" comes. Look at the drawings of harpoons.
• The cutting up process, after killing the whale, begins on p. 36. Could you do this? People your age did! See the bottom for a journal of a girl who went on one of these expeditions!
• I think I should explain that they do not actually remove "sperm" from a whale. The oil and white substance is explained in this section. Note that they also value AMBERGRIS for perfume, of all things. What's ambergris?

A couple of helps for you:

1. You may want to add Google Earth to your computer, ipad, iphone or any smart phone. You can follow the voyage, look up Nantucket, the Azores, etc. It's really one of my favorite apps! Here's the link: http://www.google.com/earth/index.html.

2. Here is a fascinating true journal of a whaling expedition a young girl (6) took with her family. Her father was the captain of the ship. Please go here and explore. I'd like for everyone to respond with comments, questions, and observations from the first 3 chapters of the book AND from this website. It's fascinating! Check out Laura Jernegan's story here, plus tons of interesting info about whaling, etc.

You have 2 weeks to read, explore, and post.

  SO...BEFORE THE NEXT ONLINE POSTING, YOU MUST ANNOTATE YOUR BOOK FOR CHAPTERS 1-3 WITH THE INFO I'VE POSTED (ABOVE) AND POST COMMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR READING AND/OR THE ONLINE HELPS (GOOGLE EARTH AND LAURA JERNEGAN). Our next "meeting" will be June 17! YOUR COMMENTS SHOULD BE POSTED BEFORE JUNE 17!

If you find anything cool, please share! Feel free to post anytime!

Happy reading!

Mrs. C.

WELCOME!

WELCOME TO ST. PIUS X, AND WELCOME TO FRESHMAN ENGLISH!

Revenge of the Whale
Nathaniel Philbrick

I'm glad to be working with you in Freshman English this summer and in the coming school year! I have only assigned one book because we'll be doing several things with the book over the summer in preparation for the fall. For the first blog post, I'm going to give you important information about the summer. Please read carefully.

• Make sure you have purchased Revenge of the Whale, by Nathaniel Philbrick, by June 1. The first blog post will be June 3, so I'm trying to give you enough time to purchase/order the book. You will be annotating the book for your first major grade of the fall semester, so make sure you have a book you can write in. Your annotated book will be due on the first day of class. No exceptions.
• In order to get credit for your summer read, you will need to enter into discussion on the blog, which will give you important information for reading and annotating. This will also enable you to meet one another, virtually at least, before school starts. I will add your email to the group, as well as your parents' SPX email address by June 1.
• Please email me at any time at jcollier@spx.org. In the subject line, please type REVENGE. You should use your SPX student email which you just received at Freshman Registration. I will also be forwarding the assignment to your parents at their parent SPX email.
• The blog will be updated for discussion on the following dates. You will need to check in on those dates for a discussion and annotation directions, and you will have two weeks to respond to that date's discussion assignment. I hope this makes your reading a little more relaxing and interesting! Please note that once I post, you have two weeks to respond to THAT post before I post the next blog. DO NOT POST A COMMENT EARLY!

Wednesday, June 3   You should have read THE PREFACE by this date. The response for this post will deal with THE PREFACE.

Wednesday, June 17  You should have read Chs. 1-3 by this date. The response for this post will deal with Chs. 1-3. Your response should be posted between 6/17 and 6/30.

Wednesday, July 1  You should have read Chs. 4-6 by this date. The response for this post will deal with Chs. 4-6. Your response should be posted between 7/1 and 7/14.

Wednesday, July 15   You should have read Chs. 7-10 by this date. The response for this post will deal with Chs. 7-10. Your response should be posted between 7/15 and 7/28.

Wednesday, July 29  You should have read Chs. 11-14 and THE EPILOGUE. The response for this post will deal with Chs. 11-14 and THE EPILOGUE. Your response should be posted between 7/29 and 8/4.

Get ready for an amazing true story of courage. This summer, you may want to tip your hat to the creatures of the ocean before jumping in!

~~Mrs. Collier~~