Ernest Shackleton Analysis

Ernest Shackleton set out on October twenty-sixth, 1914, prepared for an incredible journey. He was going to cross the antarctic, which was obviously going to be an amazing trip, which it was. It did not, however, go as expected. Their ship the Endurance was trapped in the ice, and crushed. For the next three years, they were trapped on the ice, alive only so long as they had the will to survive. Through this experience, Ernest Shackleton learned that to live he needed perseverance, positivity, and selflessness. He and all of his men survived the experience, and returned home. One of the things that helped these men to survive the trip was perseverance. Once they were forced of the ship, they had to find land. They strapped all of the
supplies they had salvaged from the ship before it sunk to their sleds, and began towing them over the ice towards land. They had to push them over miles of uneven ice, and then pack the supplies into boats to push through the ocean. The water they were rowing through was below freezing, liquid only because of the salt it contained, and the wind blew it into the boats constantly, but the men survived. Once ashore, they had to find a way to get help. Four of the men, including Shackleton, crammed themselves into a tiny boat, and proceeded to set out on an 800-mile voyage across the Southern Ocean to South Georgia. They made it to South Georgia, but were forced to climb mountains with minimal equipment to the whaling station on the other side. The amount of perseverance necessary to battle through this is incredible. In order to fight for survival in this experience, Ernest Shackleton had to be a good influence on his men. They were in below freezing conditions with little food, and liquidating water for drinking was difficult. If Ernest Shackleton had not kept them positive they may have seen no reason in continuing. It was an unfair battle, with the advantage against them, but Shackleton did not give up. He showed the men that they could survive. He took on the impossible, crossing an ocean in an open boat, and then climbing over mountains. If it were not for his endless supply of morale, he would have given up, and all of his men would have surely perished. Selflessness is part of positivity. Putting the people around you first can keep them positive to. Shackleton was selfless, and put his men before himself. Shackleton throughout the experience thought he was to blame for forcing his men into that situation. He was constantly worried that they may not all survive, but for the men, he put on a bright smile, and kept trying. Everything he did was based on what was best for his men. He was part of the four man crew that crossed the Southern Ocean and climbed mountains enduring the incredible cold, because he need to save them. And in the end, he was finally able to. The story of Sir Ernest Shackleton shows incredible amounts of perseverance, positivity, and strong leadership. If I should ever undergo such a journey, I hope that I could show these things. I want to be able to fight for what I believe in, lose, and then try again. I want to never let my mind falter, and believe that through any trials I face I will be able laugh like a normal person. I want to be able to keep my friends and I together, despite the world trying to pull us apart. These things may seem difficult, or even impossible for a normal person. But keep in mind, when Ernest Shackleton left for the voyage, he was a normal man. It was not until his return, that he became a hero.