Christopher Lucas

3 March, 2004 

The Essence of Exploration

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."  Emerson

            In the literature of exploration many characters, both real and fictional, display a common spirit.  Some characters appear to view exploration as part of an overarching ideal such as Nationalism, science research, or religious mandate. While these ideals are very real, they often serve to hide a much more personal desire for exploration and travel. On a personal level, these characters harbor a deep desire to explore and achieve in one capacity or another.  Often, this personal desire collides with an overarching ideal resulting in conflict, unnecessary struggle, and ultimately failure for some explorers.

            The race to the South Pole provides a good example of how the line between personal desires and ideals can easily be obscured. Robert Scott maintained to the very end that his was a scientific mission and that reaching the South Pole first was of little or no importance. He and his party were none the less very eager to go down in history as being the first men to set foot on the South Pole. The unacknowledged goal of the Scott party was revealed when, upon hearing of Amundsen ambitions of going to the pole first, "Scott's men were furious; they talked of finding the Amundsen party and having it out with them, but Scott put a good face on it and pretended not to mind at all" (48).

            In addition to his stated scientific goals Scott was also motivated by National pride in his efforts to reach the Pole. In fact, the competition between Roald Amundsen and Scott was most clearly played out in the arena of Nationalism. Each man wanted the recognition and respect associated with leading the first party to the South Pole not only for himself, but for his homeland.

            While Scott and Amundsen shared a common goal and motivation for reaching the Pole first, the crucial difference between these men was in how each man would go about his trek. For Scott, the desire to be first was inexorably intertwined and complicated by his desire to accomplish the mission in a distinctly British fashion. Scott was unable to separate his overarching ideal of Nationalism from his personal desire for exploration. This conflict may have drastically affected the decisions he made throughout his journey.

            For the Scott, exploration meant completing the mission like a good Englishman.  To this end, Scott chose to confront nature rather than learn to live within it; he wished to conquer the Antarctica on his terms. The British approach to exploration, like most explorer nations, had been to deal with the new environments with an air of superiority and an eye towards dominance. Amundsen on the other hand, had a clear, un-obscured, and focused goal of reaching the Pole first and was willing to learn from the mistakes and success of others while adapting as required in order to have a successful mission.

            In James Johnson's 2002 Mid-term essay Amundsen versus Scott: Why is Scott considered a hero? Johnson illustrates how Scott unsuccessfully attempted to force Antarctica to bend to his will.  Scott demonstrated an almost fanatical aversion to recognize and adapt to his environment. Johnson points out that the decision to man-haul sledges was in itself almost a guarantee of failure and a completely self-imposed burden on the party. Johnson notes, "The practice of sledge hauling with dog teams was the normal mode of transportation in all of the inhabited polar-type environments during that period" (2). Rather than use dogs, Scott instead insisted on using ponies, which quickly perished in the Polar climate.

            Scott's dedication to a Nationalistic ideal and his refusal to adapt to a new environment are the most obvious reasons why this expedition failed. As Sheila Nickerson succinctly points out in her essay The Artic in Literature, "adaptability in the Artic means the difference between life and death" (391).  Nickerson also explains how Amundsen trained and learned from native people of the Artic as he successfully crossed the Northwest Passage years before setting off for the South Pole. In the end, Amundsen's successful journey to the South Pole validated first his personal pride, and secondarily his Nationalistic motives.

            Fiction writing based on factual events has generated similar explorer type characters and conflicts. Characters such as Father LaForgue from Black Robe exhibit many of the conflicts as are seen in real explorers such as Scott.  Both Scott and Father LaForgue work under the auspices of a higher ideal for exploration, yet each man is personally driven to succeed. LaForgue's decision to be priest and volunteering for missionary work supports the notion that he already possessed an adventurous spirit. The lifestyle of a missionary priest is markedly different from that of a man who chooses to stay at home and marry, which was his alternative. In the case of Father LaForgue, he may have chosen his vocation, at least partly, because it afforded him the opportunity to explore, while at the same time attributing his efforts to a higher calling. The same argument could be made for Scott and his choice of scientific endeavors.

            Had Father LaForgue not become a priest, he may well have well quenched this desire by freely traveling to the new world like the young white settler, Daniel, or taken to the sea like Poe's Gordon Pym.  Lacking a higher calling or overarching ideal, a Mr. LaForgue would have been forced to acknowledge his personal desire for exploration. Characters such as Pym, Daniel and Father LaForgue seem to have a wander lust and a need for exploration, yet each man attributes it to a different cause.

            In many respects Daniel and Pym, like Amundsen, seem to be more comfortable with their decision to travel to new worlds than characters such as Scott and Father LaForgue.  For Pym and Daniel, there are no conflicts between satisfying higher ideals and personal desires for exploration.

            This perspective on exploration allows Daniel to be free and honest about his desire for travel. Daniel is allowed focus on himself and to keep his expectations more realistic. On his own accord, Daniel learns how to speak and work with the Natives. The Indians are not completely receptive to him, but because he does not attempt to conquer them in any fashion, they accept his presence to some degree.  His relationship with Annuka, the Indian girl, represents another example of his assimilation into his new environment.  Father LaForgue, because of his religious ideals, doesn't appear capable of making friends with any of the Indians.  Everything for the Priest is a contest of wills, a win/lose proposition.

            For Pym too, the goal is clearly travel and exploration.  Pym is not burdened or conflicted with any Nationalistic or religious ideals. From the first drunken foray with Augustus to the end of the novel every turn of events creates a new obstacle for him to overcome. Each obstacle forces him to adapt, overcome and learn from others, much the same as Amundsen.

            Pym is forced to learn how to be a sailor after he and Augustus kill the mutineers. Pym adapts quickly as the story evolves when he is forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive along with Peters.  Adaptation and quick thinking again save Pym when he escapes the tribe at the South Pole. With any of these situations, an overarching ideal would have affected his decision making ability and may have ultimately lead to his death. For example, had Pym been working under a religious ideal, it is unlikely that he would have resorted to cannibalism and ultimately may not have survived the ordeal. Pym's narrow focus on exploration and survival allowed him to deal with changes and continue on in his journey.

            Where Pym and Daniel are in tune with their desires, Father LaForgue appears unable see the same desire within himself. Father LaForgue never really acknowledges that traveling and exploring will allow him a certain prestige and give him a special place in society. If he returns to France, he will always be viewed as different, unique, and special because he has traveled to the new world. His identity will be that of a missionary that has been abroad, rather than simply a priest that is serving God in his home church.

            One hint of the allure for travel and exploration for Father LaForgue is the admiration shown for the missionary Priest who was disfigured by the Indians. Father LaForgue appears to be taken with this man. In Black Robe's eyes, this Priest holds a certain power for not only suffering for God, but for having "been there."  This notion of suffering in order to gain credibility among men and approval by God is so powerful for Father LaFogue that at one point he tells God that he "welcomes greater privations in the days ahead." Since there is no way for man to know the mind of God, Father LaForgue will not be able to satisfy this desire to please.  Therefore, the only reward or satisfaction available to Father LaFogue is secular and personal.       

            Black Robe attempts to conquer the new world and its inhabitants in much the same manner as Scott. Both men refuse to alter who and what they are as they deal with a new and hostile environment.  For Black Robe, his self-appointed superiority is attributed to a higher calling. He views the Native Americans as savages, poor lost souls and feels that they need him in order to survive in Christ. As a result, he is battling to win over the hearts, minds, and souls of the tribe. In order to accomplish this task, there is little room for contrition on his part.  The Indians must convert, or perish as lost souls.  Like Scott, Black Robe is ultimately fails in his mission.

            The desire to explore is part of human nature.  Without it children would never learn about the world around them.  As we grow older, this desire manifests itself in various ways. Some people later attribute this human desire to a higher purpose such as religion, science, or Nationalism. No matter what the ideal, the essence of exploration deeply routed in the individual.  The literature of exploration presents some characters that are clearly comfortable with their desires as well as characters that are working under the auspices of a higher calling.  In many cases, characters who are comfortable or in tune with their motivations seem to be more successful. Characters working under a higher ideal appear to struggle and are conflicted with their personal desires. In some cases these internal conflicts are too great to be overcome.

Works Cited

Black Robe. Director Bruce Beresford. Perf. Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young, Sandrine             Holt. 1991. DVD. MGM.

Johnson, James. Amundsen versus Scott: Why is Scott Considered a Hero?  Spring 2002,             <http://www.uhcl.edu/itc/course/LITR/5738/mt02ndx.htm.>.

Mitford, Nancy. "A Bad Time." Ice: Stories of Survival from Polar Exploration. New    York: Thunder Mouth's Press, 1999.

Poe, Edgar Allan. Arthur Gordon Pym. New York: Oxford UP, 1994.