In the Heart of the Sea by Antonio Barreira

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Meeting 1 Date: Wednesday, January 10th, 2024
Section: Chapters 1-4

Meeting 2 Date: Friday, January 19th, 2024
Section: Chapters 5-8

Meeting 3 Date: Tuesday, January 13th, 2024
Section: Chapters 9-12

Meeting 4 Date: Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
Section: Chapters 13-Epilogue

NOTES

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Section: Chapters 5-8
Members Present: Nicholas Mavrovitis, Antonio Barreira

Discussion Highlights:

Why did the sperm whale attack the Essex, and what might have influenced its behavior?

We believe that the sperm whale attacked the ship due to its proximity to the Essex. It also could’ve been completely random.

2. How did they survive without having a real ship?

After the destruction of the Essex, the crew mates used the whaleboats and stocked them up with food and necessary supplies. They also created makeshift sails from the Essex remains allowing them to actually control the small whaleboats

3. What is keeps the men from turning on each other?
We believe that the only thing keeping the men from turning on each other is the stockpile of food. If it wasn’t for the available tortoise meat or bread, the men would have turned on each other much earlier (Maybe resorting cannibalism).

4. What country/place do you think they landed on?
We believe that they most likely landed on an Island like Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean as in the novel it says that the men were 1,500 miles from the Galapagos before the whale attack and were continuing to head south.

Agenda Topic 2

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Whale Attack

MEETING REFLECTION

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

1. Whale attack destroys the Essex.
2. Crew mates are forced to strategize and preserve food supplies for as long as possible.
3. They eventually make it to some sort of land.

NOTES

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Section: Chapters 9-12
Members Present: Nicholas Mavrovitis, Antonio Barreira

Discussion Highlights:

Why would some boys want to stay behind in the island?
They must have thought that they had a better chance of survival staying at the island than going back on sea. With a surplus of food on the island it seems almost stupid to continue voyaging.

Why does Chase spare Richard Peterson's life?
We believe that Chase spares Peterson's life as everyone plays in part in their collective survival. Also by showing Peterson mercy, it ultimately makes Peterson in debt to him (This may be beneficial in the future).

Why does Pollard admit to cannibalism?
We believe that he most likely felt the guilt of eating one of his own crew mates. Their deaths are what allowed him to survive so maybe he feels that he must admit what he did to them.

It is funny to think how earlier in the novel they specifically avoided certain islands because of cannibal rumors, but in the end they resort to cannibalism themselves.

Agenda Topic 3

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Island Surplus of food ---> Desperate times at Sea

MEETING REFLECTION

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

1. Crew finds surplus of food on new island

2. Some stay behind while others continue the journey; Some die of starvation and sickness.

3. Crew mates resort to cannibalism.

4. Remaining crew mates are saved!!!!

NOTES

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Section: Chapters 13-Epilogue
Members: Nicholas Mavrovitis, Antonio Barreira

Discussion Highlights:
- How will the crew go about life in society after returning from their voyage?
The crew returns to society surprisingly to most people who thought they would never return. The crew openly admitted their journeys, in the sense that they admitted to cannibalism, and they were not judged by society for doing so. Some of the crew returns to sea after a time while some of the members pursued different paths.
- Pollard is offered to command the Two Brothers. Pollard has another unsuccessful voyage, earning an unlucky reputation and not being hired to go out to sea again.
- Owen Chase begins writing a book about the disaster. He later returns to whaling and becomes a captain and author.
- Thomas Nickerson and Charles Ramsdell go with Pollard. Nickerson eventually pursues a merchant service while Ramsdell becomes a whaling captain.

The conclusion of the book and epilogue deal with the population of the sperm whale in that it is stable despite all of the killing for oil.
There was an old and beat up whale that sunk a boat and was later harvested in 1851, presumed to be the one encountered by the Essex.

Agenda Topic 4

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

End of the Book: Aftermath of the crew mates.

MEETING REFLECTION

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

1. The crew is rescued and returns to the mainland where they are greeted and not judged for their actions.
2. The men that made it back continue to pursue careers, some continue whaling some don’t.
3. The whale that haunted these men was presumably harvested, and the whale population wasn’t permanently harmed because of the hunting.

NOTES

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Section: Chapters 1-4
Members Present: Nicholas Mavrovitis, Antonio Barreira

Discussion Highlights:
- Why were all of the people aboard the whale ship very young? We believe it was because back in the 1700’s people didn’t live as long and young strong blood was needed to skin the whales on the boat, and younger people tended to be the European settlers.
- What made Nantucket a good island to whaling? Even though the land of Nantucket was depleted after the arrival of European settlers, this pushed people to rely on the ocean to kill the close by whales to provide oil.
- Why did Captain Pollard, knowing of all the damage done to the whaleboats and the ship, listen to Chase and Joy based off a speculation? He listened to Chase and Joy because Chase convinced him that they would be fine by minimizing the incident.
- Why has only one whale been caught by the crew in four months and how is that affecting morale? Only one whale was caught because of the damages, needing time for repairs which took up hunting time. The amount of rations of the members of the crew was small compared to the captains, which, with only catching one whale, lowered the morale.

Agenda Topic 1

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Beginning of the Novel: Introduction to Essex and Nantucket whaling.

MEETING REFLECTION

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

1. There is whaling done off the shore of Nantucket.
2. The crew encounters a storm that hurts their production.
3. The morale is low because of low production.

RULE 1

25023ab — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Come into every meeting having read the designated part.

RULE 2

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Be ready to discuss any topics about the book.

RULE 3

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Come with any questions about what you have read.

MEMBERS

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:06:49 UTC

Name: Nicholas Mavrovitis
Email: 25254nm@chaminade-hs.org

Name: Antonio Barreira
Email: 25023ab@chaminade-hs.org

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

25254nm — 2024-01-30 02:15:20 UTC