The rest of part one rewinds time to when the expedition was beginning. It explains Shackleton's thrill for adventure and the long months he spent gathering funds, men, and support for his journey across Antarctica. Once the trip begins, the reader is thoroughly introduced to nearly every significant crew member upon the Endurance. Life within the antarctic night is difficult and new to most of the crew, but the reader experiences it with the men every step of the way. As they enter deeper into ice-infested waters, the boat is onslaughted by ice squeezing the boat with pressure, eventually getting stuck. Part one concludes where it began, the abandonment of the Endurance.
"About midnight, the movement of the ice partly closed the wound in the stern, and the flow of water decreased. But still the hand pumps had to be manned to keep the water from gaining...they stayed at it all night..." Everyone has hope, and the crew hoped that their home and transport Endurance would not have to fall to the ice. All their energy and strength was devoted to saving her and not giving up hope, even though deep down it was futile.
Flashback sums up this section almost perfectly, because chapters two through eight all take place before chapter one. Even though I knew what was eventually coming, it was nice to learn how it happened and who it happened to.
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