The End to an Unbelievable Journey: Part 7, Chapters 1-3

Part 7, chapter 2,  page 267


The men staggered onto the beach and secured the boat with what little strength they had left. They spent the next couple days just sleeping and eating. Shackleton decided though that they had to move forward but with only two other men to accompany him. Starting with a group of twenty-eight men, they were now down to a group of three. They shook hands and said their goodbyes, and Shackleton and his lessened crew headed at a steady pace to the whaling station. They would hike a short distance and would have to retrace their steps for it was impossible to go through. At one point, they had to climb down a steep mountain and then realized they had no other choice but to slide down. Lansing writes, "Faster and fast-down....down...down!...a moment later they camo to an abrupt halt in a snowbank...They were breathless and their hearts were beating wildly. but they found themselves laughing uncontrollably. What had been a terrifying prospect possibly a hundred seconds before had turned into a breathtaking triumph." They just had to go and not think too much about the consequences. That is almost the theme of their entire journey; living in the moment was key. As they finished their journey to the whaling station, Shackleton had a great sense of achievement. Although they had not reached their initial goal, they had achieved unbelieveable feats and triumphs. Every man in his crew survived to tell their stories and every man left with an incredible sense of pride.


This quote reminds me how everyone needs time to relax and let loose every once in a while. They had been stressed and tense for far too long. When they laughed, it gave them a new mindset that ultimately allowed them to keep trudging through the harsh terrain. We all need to remember to let go of our serious lifestyles. If we learn to take time to relax even for a few minutes to escape our hectic lives, it can calm us down keeping our attitudes and outlooks on life healthy.


My literary term is resolution. (the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax)
The entire seventh part to this book serves as the main part of the resolution. The men finally reach South Georgia, find aid, and rescue their whole party.