Answer questions in essay form for the book ?in the heart of the sea? by Nathaniel philbrick
I. What let to Nantucket becoming the whaling capital of the world? What led to its decline as a whaling center’? What would you see if you visited Nantucket today?
2. Was George Pollard or Owen Chase more of a ‘fishy man.’? Examine some crucial decisions and actions of Pollard to determine his fitness to be a leader.
3. Did the whale malevolently target the Essex? Could anything have been done to prevent the ship’s destruction? Did the crew respond appropriately before the Essex finally sank or did they make crucial mistakes?
4. Why did their view of the world compel the Nantucketers on the Essex to navigate toward South America instead of the Marquesas Islands? Did the clannish loyalty of Nantucketers to one another influence treatment of Essex sailors in the whaleboats? [note motivations of sailors who remained on Henderson Island) Why were Nantucket residents uneasy at the fate of the African-American sailors when the story of the Essex became known? Should they have been?
5. What were the steps and conditions that led to cannibalism and the fate of Owen Coffin? Describe the effects of dehydration and starvation on those in the whaleboats. Did the people of Nantucket understand and sympathize with these decisions? Do you?
