Barbara Sharp

April 23, 2002

Faith, Fear, and Exploration: A Balancing Act of the Human Spirit

The cliché, "a picture is worth a thousand words" appears to argue against any faith-based concept of destiny or fate; it resists the notion of trust. For explorers, real and imagined, trust in something or someone seems to be critical in overcoming their fear in uncertain conditions. Works in the Literature of Exploration reveal a diversity of beliefs regarding spirituality and the affect it has on the person or persons involved in each situation. This spiritual essence ranges from its connection with individual religious devotion to social interdependence. In both, fiction and non-fiction works, faith and trust seem to be the balancing forces that stabilize the emotions of anxiety and fear. Journals from polar expeditions such as The Voyage of the Jeanette and Six Came Back, along with the memoirs Alone and The Worst Journey in the World show a distinct and direct interplay of differences in how trust and faith factors into each situation.

Accepting that "faith is not bound to some single image or way of experiencing the world" (Lynch 78), explorers, like most people in society, would have different spiritual views regarding faith. The basis of trust is not always the same; who or what, and how much trust is given is unique to each explorer, although the reason for trust appears to be connected to some aspect of survival. The key to survival, insofar as faith and trust is concerned, is indeed perceived differently by the author-explorers in Ice, which surfaces through the language and observations of the writer.

In The Voyage of the Jeanette, the foundation of Lieutenant George DeLong's spiritual values is characterized as he admits that his "chart is simply useless," and he "must go on" by "trusting in God to guide [him] to a settlement," for he and his men "are powerless to help [themselves]" (159). Here, faith that an omnipotent and benevolent God will aid him and his men gives this explorer hope that they will survive. DeLong's faith is his "ultimate intentionality [as] a Christian believer" and "[h]ope shares and supports" his belief (32). His men, as his journal implies, share his faith for they are "all united in saying [The] Lord's Prayer" and "read[ing] prayers for [the] sick" even as they are slowly dying (169). Although their situation appears hopeless as "[e]verybody [is] pretty weak," DeLong's spiritual condition never weakens; that is, he still clings to his faith just one week prior to his last journal entry stating, "[r]ead part of divine services" (169). Interestingly, their unified trust in God also extends outward to a trust in each other, which is how DeLong and his men are able to keep each other's spirits up instead of succumbing to emotional despair.

Faith in God, however, does not eliminate DeLong and his men's fear of imminent death. There are instances in the journal when DeLong's tone admits to this fear; he pleads, "God help us," and confesses that "unless He intervenes we are lost" (168). Although DeLong's tone expresses a fair amount of fear, his faith tempers this emotion. In Images of Faith, Lynch claims that "it is ironic that [faith] feeds so strongly on nothingness and death" (90-91). The trick, it seems, is to balance these two conditions. Humans naturally fear death. Many persons fear it because they are uncertain of the question of immortality and what may happen after they die. Traditionally, fear in the Christian sense is manifested in God's wrath: His power over one's soul. DeLong, as a Christian, tries "not to make too decisive a separation between the fear of God and filial confidence in God" (Lynch 92). For DeLong and his men then, a unified faith in God is the key to their spiritual survival; physical survival is seen as less important.

The journal entries of Sergeant David Brainard, however, depict a contrasting image of spiritual camaraderie, faith, and trust. From the beginning of the portion of Six Came Back in the Ice anthology, the tone of Brainard's words emits a hint of despair and gives the reader the sense that there is some hostility within the group. Unlike the men of The Jeanette, there does not seem to be any spiritual foundation unifying them as a whole; for Brainard and his comrades, trust in each other is believed to be the essential key to their physical survival. Throughout this piece, mistrust and faithlessness is evidenced. When Brainard takes the time to cite that it is "an act of criminal negligence, or else inexcusable ignorance" "if [his] government does not send a vessel" soon (239), he instantly demonstrates his lack of faith in others. This overall feeling is perhaps justified as he discloses how one man "died begging forgiveness for having stolen some bacon several weeks" before (241). In fact, much of Brainard's journal relates to food theft and the implications of this crime. One possibly negative outcome of this act is highlighted in a letter from a commanding officer to Brainard:

Private Henry having been repeatedly guilty of stealing the provisions of this party which is now perishing slowly of starvation, has so far been condoned and

pardoned. It is, however, imperatively ordered that if this man be detected either eating food of any kind not issued him regularly, or making catches, or appropriating any article of provision, you will shoot him and report the matter to me. Any other course would be a fatal leniency, the man being able to overpower any two of our present force. (247)

Extreme suffering can be said to be a barometer for the spiritual side of human nature. In a group, spiritual bonding seems to minimize feelings of hopelessness because it creates unified feelings of reciprocity. Despair, a by-product of faithlessness, is present amongst the men of the Jeanette because there is no spiritual foundation to hold them together. Indeed, throughout this piece, the tone implies that there is a fear in the finality of death. Lack of hope preempts any consideration for spiritual survival.

Fear, of course, is a natural human emotion that occurs during crisis situations, especially when suffering from uncontrollable and extreme conditions such as Brainard and the other men on this arctic exploration. However, in his book, Hope: The Christian Response to Chicken Little, Lauder explains that although "[s]ickness, suffering, and death can cast a shadow over all human experience" and that "[t]here is no point in denying the reality of suffering, [t]he more honest approach is to believe that in spite of appearances[,] sickness, suffering, and death are not the final word about human life" (85). Keeping with this idea then, it seems clear that unlike the Jeanette expedition, Brainard and his companions are unable to display much courtesy towards each other as their mistrust is personified by their doubt in surviving. Their attitude sympathizes with the belief that "death seems to make life absurd" which counters the Christian belief that "the resurrection [of the spirit] makes life [ . . . ] a hopeful event" (85), the perspective that the Jeanette explorers assumed.

Interestingly, this seemingly distinct difference in spiritual attitude between the groups from The Voyage of the Jeanette and Six Came Back does not factor in the same way for the Scott expedition. These men are not portrayed as either having extreme devotion or faith in any omnipotent or benevolent Being, nor do they seem to be spiritless. In both non-fiction pieces, Scott's Last Expedition: The Journals and The Worst Journey in the World, as well as Spufford's blend of non-fiction with fictional narrative in I May Be Some Time, these men's spirituality is revealed within the context of their mission.

The quality that is most apparent within Scott's group of men is the kindness between them, a sort of a spiritual camaraderie. This is evidenced by Cherry-Garrard when he recounts how although they were all extremely cold and it took "a long time to thaw" after getting into their sleeping bags, a fellow explorer "insisted that [Cherry-Garrard] should start getting his legs into [his] before he started" (73). Just a little farther in his memoir, Cherry-Garrard explains how "bringing [the matches] from outside into the comparatively warm tent" is "an heroic business" praising his fellow explorer, Birdie for "always [lighting] the candle in the morning" (73). This kind of altruism is an extension of the trust and dependency they have between each other. Spufford points out however, "that all this altruism makes for a rather vulnerable social contract. You give your best, and then you rely on the other man being equally just and self-sacrificing" (290). For this expedition however, faith in leadership seems clearly important.

The men of this expedition do not show any significant lack of confidence in their leader, Scott. Faith and confidence are not, however, seen as quite the same. William Gooden claims both "involve trust, but the object of trust is typically different; [ . . . ] faith involves not only trust, but also commitment (55). Scott's men certainly show their commitment to him, as there are no indications that any of them try to overrule his authority.

Scott's own beliefs, however, are aligned with the idea that scientifically-minded persons are less spiritual. Spufford states that "Scott is not a believer, but a romantic, conscious of Nature's ambiguous force; conscious as well as blind of its blind selecting violence" (304). His own beliefs are much the same as the other men, but as their leader, his decisions, based on his way of thinking, affect the entire expedition. Spufford relates how Scott says he is "obsessed with the view of life as a struggle for existence" (304). This admission reveals how Scott's leadership skills may be affected by a somewhat reckless abandon instilled within his spiritual nature. Throughout his journal, Scott attributes the situation of the expedition on the luck of having good or bad weather conditions which seems to relinquish him from responsibility. Spufford claims that "in a world without God, the purpose you detect in your setbacks may be the fearsome otherness of the natural order, orchestrated for a moment to distinguish you" (304). Scott's belief that he and his men bear the consequences of Nature does not bring him showing any extreme emotional despair nor does he cling to hope when he says "the end cannot be far" (Scott 117).

The relationship between the men of the previous expeditions discussed and how the spiritual natures they possess, both individually and collectively, show how trust in someone outside themselves is a key element to how they see their fate. The key to survival for Richard Byrd is much different than these other two expeditions, for he is alone in his ordeal. Although it may be important to note that his account is given in retrospect, the really significant aspect of this memoir is how he details what his thoughts were as he was experiencing his ordeal; the spiritual side of his nature is revealed as he shares his mental struggle to override despair and the feelings associated with isolation. Knowing that "many months must be lived out which will be no different from the first," Byrd determines that "if [he] is to survive-or at least keep his mental balance-[he] must control and direct [his] thoughts" (144). His spirituality is not grounded in religious devotion to a power beyond himself; instead he convinces himself that keeping his spirit up is ultimately attributed to his ability to command his mind. He knows he must not allow his thoughts to depress him.

By manipulating his thoughts, by instructing his mind what to think on, Byrd is able to keep his mind on the present task. "Full mastery of the impinging moment was [his] goal" (Byrd 146). Alan Watts contends that "the root of [our] frustration is that we live for the future, and the future is an abstraction, a rational inference from experience, which exists only in the brain" (60). So Byrd knew he must keep his mind from thinking on memories or possibilities because this pattern of thinking would surely cause him to irrational thoughts of his present situation. Therefore, he "practiced [the] preachments of a disciplined mind [ . . . ], to focus [his] thinking on healthy, constructive images and concepts and thus crowd out the unhealthy ones" (Byrd 146). Of course his mind occasionally wanders into the realm of memories, but he nevertheless is able to repress them and ultimately reaches a sensation of peace. He describes his experience as "the sheer expanding discovery of being alive, of growing, of no longer being afraid" (156).

In all of these works eluded to from the Ice anthology, spirituality is tied in with fear; that is fear and spirituality go hand-in-hand. The traditional religious scheme of this connection equates fear with God. God, as an unknown but all-powerful Being that can damn one to an eternity in Hell certainly aligns with the concept of exploration into unknown territories as a fearful experience. That is, both concepts relate to something unknown, fear is a natural human effect or reaction of uncertainty, and faith, an element of spirituality is a necessary condition to counteract the emotion of fear. Literatures of Exploration show how the human spirit combats fear, or in some cases, succumbs to fear. Faith in God and an afterlife is shown to have a calming affect on those explorers with a religious spirit even as they knew they were about to die. The most intriguing aspect of this research however, is realizing the diversity in spirituality and the sheer affect it can have on the way one looks at destiny and how this individual perception of fate plays in the choices one makes.

Works Cited

Brainard, David L. Six Came Back. Ice: Stories of Survival From Polar Exploration. Ed. Clint Willis. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. 237-256.

Byrd, Richard E. Alone. Ice: Stories of Survival From Polar Exploration. Ed. Clint Willis. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. 137-156.

Cherry-Garrard, Apsley. The Worst Journey in the World. Ice: Stories of Survival  From Polar Exploration. Ed. Clint Willis. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. 59-100.

DeLong, George W. The Voyage of The Jeanette. Ice: Stories of Survival From Polar

Exploration. Ed. Clint Willis. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. 157-170.

Gooden, Winston E. Confidence Under Pressure: How Faith Supports Risk Taking.

Faith in Leadership. Ed. Robert Banks and Kimberly Powell. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Publishers. 2000.

Lauder, Robert E. Hope: The Christian Response to Chicken Little. Notre Dame: Fides/Claretian, 1980.

Lynch, William F. Images of Faith. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1973.

Scott, Robert Falcon. Scott's Last Expedition: The Journals. Ice: Stories of Survival From Polar Expedition. Ed. Clint Willis. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. 101-117.

Spufford, Frank. I May Be Some Time. Ice: Stories of Survival From Polar Exploration. Ed. Clint Willis. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. 285-326.

Watts, Alan W. The Wisdom of Insecurity. New York: Vintage Books, 1951.