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  • Essay / The theme of whaling in the film “In the Heart of the Sea”

    Is it ethical to kill living creatures for the common good? Is the feeling of necessity greater than morality? Does morality apply when the needs of ordinary people meet the rules of ethics? Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn the 1800s, it was discovered that whale oil could light up cities in ways never before possible. So whale oil suddenly became a global demand, whaling. However, there will always be one question that challenges the existence of such a thing, that of the ethics of whaling. Is it ethical to kill hundreds of creatures just to plunder their oil and light their homes? Whaling became a global activity that brought many benefits to humans by killing hundreds of whales which provided them with oil and large chunks of whale meat. It is therefore important to maintain traditional relationships between humans and animals; this statement proves that whaling is unethical. Killing innocent creatures just to satisfy human needs is ethically unacceptable. On the other hand, due to global demand, cultural beliefs and cultural traditions, whaling appears to be becoming ethical. Additionally, the morality of whaling also connects the traditional bond between man and whales, where whaling should not be banned but must be permitted if its use is definitively "sustainable." An example of this is the return of commercial whaling in Japan, which has proven to be a sustainable and annual tradition of whaling in the Faroe Islands. Another example of a pro-whaling island is the island of Nantucket, considered the whaling capital of the United States. Connected to the island is the legend of the tragic Essex Nantucket disaster which revealed the possibilities of whaling activities, whether ethical or unethical. Thus, the disaster sent the victims wandering into the heart of the sea. The film was directed by Owen Chase, the mate of the Essex and George Pollard, Jr., the captain. Under Pollard's command, the crew of the Essex Nantucket suffered a devastating disaster that resulted in the deaths of some of its crew. The question now is: Would Chase have commanded the whaler Essex better than Pollard? Would disaster still happen if Chase had been captain of the ship from the start? I think he would lead the crew better since he is familiar to most of the members and has proven seamanship since he bagged barrels of whale oil on his past expeditions. He was even promised to be captain of a whaling ship until the industry decided to give the title of captain to George Pollard, son of a senior figure in the whaling industry. Throughout the film, Chase proved that he was better at sea than Captain Pollard. It can be seen from the beginning of their expedition, when the best stalwarts of the ship were stranded, he risked climbing the poles and freed the stalwarts. Chase was also a man for his team. He reaches them and communicates with them directly and deeply. This is why the crew of the Essex would depend more on him than on Captain Pollard. Additionally, Captain Pollard issued some very undesirable and inappropriate verdicts, such as heading into a fast and furious storm. Pollard never listened to anyone on the ship, especially Chase, and made poor decisions. So, due to Chase's seamanship and hisexperience in whaling, I think he, Owen Chase, should have captained the ship Essex. As the ship Essex was destroyed by this monstrous white whale, the crew left their whaleboats until they reached the uninhibited island, Henderson Island. There they found food such as fish, eggs and birds. The trauma left by the Essex disaster drove most of them away. They could live on Henderson Island, but there is only a shortage of food for the entire crew. On the contrary, Henderson Island presents invisible resources in the middle of the sea. However, I would continue sailing since it was my promised responsibility. We came to the island together; we will also leave it together. One of the most annoying characters in the film In the Heart of the Sea was Captain George Pollard's cousin, Henry Coffin. His character in the film began when he questioned Chase's decision as he planned to send soldiers to hunt whales even though they were not yet east of Halifax, where the Whales are mainly observed. His character became greatly unfair after the sinking of the Essex Nantucket when he questioned Owen's act where he had given water to Matthew Joy who was injured due to the storm they crossed. He even wondered why they would give water to someone who is almost dead. After the whalers split up and all the rations on Captain Pollard's boat were consumed, they made the decision to sacrifice one member so that the others would survive. Captain Pollard was the unfortunate one and that's when Henry Coffin's character changed. Instead of killing his captain, his cousin, he killed himself to save his cousin's life. Perhaps he will manage to realize his past actions, his arrogance and his selfishness where, for the last time, he will at least be able to save his captain, his dear cousin, from death. Back home, the industry wanted the Essex survivors to lie. about what happened during the Essex tragedy. However, Chase refused to embroider the truth and thus influenced Pollard to tell the truth about what really happened. Captain Pollard didn't listen to his father's advice: hide the truth. George Pollard stated what really happened that caused unrest on Nantucket. However, his statements were not enough to convince everyone. That's why he organized another trip to show the world the truth and honor his former comrades by exposing the tragedy that the brave men of Essex faced. Unfortunately, he failed and never again saw the sperm whale he wanted to find. “Pollard set out again in search of the white whale. He never found it. He ran a second ship aground off the coast of Hawaii. Twice cursed. I never sailed again. Nickerson said. Thomas Nickerson, an Essex Nantucket survivor and youngest, told his own account of the Essex tragedy through the writer Herman Melville. Firstly, he refused to share his account of the mysterious history of Essex. He didn't even tell his wife what really happened. However, it seems that the Essex tragedy weighed heavily on him, prompting him to recount everything he remembered to the writer Melville and write his own story of the events that unfolded in the run-up to it. from the end of his life. This disaster seems to be without a doubt the most constructive and formative experience of his life. There is a lot of confusion because there are gaps and contradictions between the book and the film. Different survivors gave different accounts of these stories. There is Owen Chase's account of the tragedy, the account of..