A Confident Crew

Part One, Chapter Six: A Confident Crew

Term: parable

This upbeat chapter discusses the positive thoughts and attitudes of the men on board the Endurance. The ship's crew members were waiting anxiously for the arrival of spring. The long winter was ending, and the return of the warmth and the sun was slowly beginning. The men on board knew that the Endurance would finally break out of its icy prison. The men's extremely high spirits and confidence worried Shackleton. One night he sat down with his crew to address his concern. "Shackleton said there once was a mouse who lived in a tavern. One night the mouse found a leaky barrel of beer, and drank all he could hold. When the mouse had finished, he sat up, twirled his whiskers, and looked around arrogantly. 'Now then,' he said, 'where's that damned cat?'" (Lansing 50). The purpose of Shackleton's parable was to warn his men not to become too confident or too comfortable. He knew that their good luck could all change in a matter of seconds. He was trying to tell his crew not to become too accustomed to the fortunate circumstances they were facing. When reading this chapter, I think about how I have been overly confident or cocky in the past. Shackleton's parable helps me remember that I must always stay humble and true to who I am, regardless of any advantages I may have. This parable reminds me to be thankful for all my blessings and skills, instead of using them as ways to make myself look superior to someone else.