Is there a quote or scene that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
A scene that stayed with me is when the 4-5 crew members were left behind on the island as there was not room/resources for them. What a difficult decision to make and how scary for those left behind, never to be heard from again.
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Yes, agree with Amber. How could you leave crew members behind?
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I agree leaving the crew behind on the island was heartbreaking to me I wouldn’t have wanted to be left there with no resources.
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Bulkeley"s journal quote (after the Wager’s wreck) was the one that fixed in my mind what kind of captain Cheap was. It also symbolized how impossible this mission was. It was destined for failure due to Cheap’s realization that others had some opinions that should have been considered.
“If only the captain had conferred with his officers at sea…we might probably have escaped our present unhappy conditions”
The one quote that sticks in my mind was at the beginning of the book because gave me context for to understanding the story of the Britain and Spain’s colonial missions and its influence on the Wager and it’s occupants and their ultimate situation. All occupants on the Wager were influenced by this power and promise of stature and wealth wether you were a captain, an experienced seaman, or you were kidnapped, you would have been influenced by improving your situation.
“The conflict was the result of the endless jockeying among the European powers to expand their empires. They each vied to conquer or control ever larger swaths of the earth, so that they could exploit and monopolize other nations’ valuable natural resources and trade markets.”
The scene that resonated with me is the the same as others have mentioned here about abandoning several crew member to an island with no resources and certain deaths. It was brutal and unthinkable in my mind, I do not think I could have done it! I do not think I could have lived with knowing I left humans to suffer a certain death to save my own skin.
It was those Marines left behind, who stood in honor of their country, as the other sailed away. It haunts me.
Unlike on a battlefield, there was no fixed position at sea: a ship was always shifting with the wind and the waves and the currents." To me this quote means that because ships were the main transportation, that it was a chance that you wouldnt survive to your destination, as with modern day modes still a chance could occur.
I agree with AnnH - If only the captain… What arrogance to think that he was the only one who could make a decision about his life while at sea, and all the lives of the men who depended on him. How many men have died over the years due to that kind of arrogance and pride. While that sentiment haunts me, the idea infuriates me.