44 pages • 1 hour read
Nathaniel PhilbrickIn the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2000A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Index of Terms
First Mate
The first mate is the second in command of a non-military vessel. Typically, this person is in charge of all that the captain is responsible for in name, but needs to delegate out for the sake of utility and expedience. Philbrick suggests that the ideal first mate will serve as a foil for the captain’s personality and style of leadership so that the two can balance each other’s weaknesses. This was partially the case on the Essex, but the temperamental differences between Pollard and Chase tended to exacerbate problems rather than mitigate them:
Pollard had known better [than to sail for South America], but instead of pulling rank […] he embraced a more democratic style of command […] [T]he Essex had ended up with a captain who had the instincts and soul of a mate, and a mate who had the ambition and fire of a captain (100-01).
Port/Starboard
On board a ship, the terms left and right are not used since the nature of a boat’s motion and direction can be relative. Rather than use left and right, the terms port and starboard refer to the different sides of the ship. Derived from an Old English term, starboard refers to the right side of the ship while facing the front (or bow); this is where the steering oar would have originally been set. The “port” (left) side did not have the steering oar, allowing it to more easily sail into the port (or dock).
Blubber
Blubber is the term for the fat deposits on cetacean animals (i.e. whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), and animals that generally spend the majority of their time in extremely cold environments. Not only does this specialized layer of fat allow animals to survive in extremely cold water environments, but it also serves as a source of nutrition during periods of scarcity. In some whale species, blubber layers can range up to 12 inches in depth.
Hypernatremia
This condition is caused by an overly concentrated ratio of sodium within the bloodstream, resulting in symptoms that range from weakness and confusion to nausea and convulsions. Healthy kidneys can easily filter out the amount of sodium the average human consumes. The survivors of the Essex, however, were dehydrated, constantly exposed to seawater, and eating hardtack that had been contaminated by seawater. When hypernatremia reaches lethal levels, it is sometimes referred to as salt poisoning.
Hardtack
Hardtack is a highly simplistic form of bread or cracker made of flour, water, and salt. It was made for use primarily on voyages and long journeys in which common would be difficult to come by; it was inexpensive and capable of lasting unspoiled for great lengths of time. Unfortunately, much of the hardtack on the Essex was contaminated by salt water during the ship’s sinking, reducing its utility.
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By Nathaniel Philbrick
