Being an officer on a whaleship like the Essex requires fine-tuned decision-making skills. Unfortunately, that's one quality poor Captain Pollard lacks. Still, it's hard to place the blame solely on Pollard for everything that goes on during that fateful trip in In the Heart of the Sea—after all, equal blame must be placed on the shoulders of his ambitious mates, Owen Chase and Matthew Joy. In the end, however, it doesn't matter who actually made the poor choices that led to that tragic day—all that matters are the consequences.
Questions About Choices
- Who makes better choices: Captain Pollard or Owen Chase?
- Why is Pollard such a poor leader?
- Does Chase deserve to become a captain after the Essex disaster? Explain.
- How does Chase's ambition get in the way of making the right choices?