KINGS POINT, N.Y., January 27, 2016 - Everyone loves a good sea story. This was apparent earlier this month when more than 50 midshipmen, faculty and staff gathered to discuss one story that seems to have eclipsed many others -  the true story of the sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1820.

United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) Humanities faculty, Dr. Jennifer Speelman, PhD and Dr. Paul Devlin, PhD presented this true story, and explained how its compelling tale has influenced literature and film.  The presentation, “Intersections of History and Literature: The Whaleship Essex, Herman Melville, and Moby-Dick” was the first in a series of Brown Bag Lunch Presentations.

“The talk came out of a desire to join in interdisciplinary discussion with other faculty and members of the Academy community to discuss the historic and literary antecedents of Ron Howard’s new film In the Heart of the Sea, based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 publication,  In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,” said Speelman. The presentation not only explored literary themes but also provided powerful lessons on how leadership styles impact mission outcomes and even survival.

On November 20, 1820 the whaleship Essex, out of Nantucket, was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean.  The 20 crewmembers were then put through a harrowing three month ordeal in open whaleboats as they tried to reach the coast of South America.  Eight crewmembers survived, and of those, two published accounts of their struggle for survival: the First Mate, Owen Chase, and the Cabin Boy, Thomas Nickerson. A third, Captain George Pollard, interviewed shortly after his rescue.  Studying these three accounts, historians were able to piece together graphic details of their ordeal.

Speelman, an expert in Maritime History and Merchant Marine Education, presented the factual and practical side of surviving such a catastrophic event, while Devlin, an expert in Twentieth century American literature and African American studies, with a sub-specialty in Nineteenth century American literature, discussed Melville's work and its creation, contexts, and interpretation, while discussing the portrayal of Melville in the film.

In 1841 Herman Melville, who was sailing aboard the whaleship Achusnet heard the story of the Essex, and the thought of a malevolent whale inspired him to write his famous literary work Moby-Dick, which was published in 1851.  Although the book was not well received at the time, it later gained extensive literary acclaim, and is now considered as one of the great American novels.

Devlin explained, after mentioning Ernest Hemingway's criticism of Melville for looking for historical sources, that Melville “wasn’t constantly obsessing over his own life and his own story. He was authentically interested in the Other – not only other cultures (the Pequod is like a floating United Nations, after all), but the Other next door. He was interested in the lives of others and the way they experienced the world.”

The presentation received very positive feedback. Midshipman 1st Class Gerrit Porter said, “This lecture gave me great insight into our country’s maritime past and the hardships that these men endured for their livelihood. I was surprised by how taken in I was by the literature side of the lecture. The lecture renewed my interest in the classic and the role it serves in portraying an era in our nation’s history."

Plebe Kaitlyn Kettenbeil said, “Learning about how whalers faced problems out on the open ocean during early history is always something that has piqued my interest.”  She added, “There are many lessons that can be learned by the crew that would be valuable to USMMA graduates.  First, you have to be able to make quick decisions. There is no time for indecisiveness and it affects the crew when you are in an authority position. However, you should also know to let your opinions not be overpowering of higher authorities.”

Devlin closed the series with a few final questions, “if Melville had not written Moby-Dick, what would the general public know of the Essex today? Would there have been a mass market for Nathaniel Philbrick’s book or Ron Howard’s film, based on the book? This is one way in which history sets the stage for literature and literature sets the stage for history."

By Veronica Cassidy Barry