Chapter 10: The Dreams of the Dead - Part 2

     The "perfect storm" is now over, but the effects of it are still being felt all over Gloucester. The crew of the Andrea Gail is never found and soon they are presumed to be dead. Reverend Casey holds a service for the men lost at sea in St. Ann's Church. People from all over Gloucester, related to the men lost at sea or not, come to pay their respects. Bobby Shatford's girlfriend, Christina Cotter, is feeling the grief of losing Bobby and even has dreams about him. This is not uncommon and many family members of the others that were aboard the Andrea Gail also have dreams and visions of their loved ones. What makes losing these loved ones even worse is the uncertainty that the families of the crew members have about whether or not their loved one has actually died or not. Two years later, another storm named the "Halloween Gale" developed. This storm was earned the title of the "Mother of All Storms" and destroyed a boat called the Gold Bond Conveyor and a boat called the Terri Lei. All of the crew members aboard these boats were killed and the remains of the boats were never found.

     The second half of this last chapter concludes the whole story in a very intriguing way. Although the members of the Andrea Gail are thought to be dead, they still live in the hearts of their loved ones and are even seen in their dreams. Also, the people of Gloucester showing up at the service, even if they did not know the "deceased" men personally, show how tight-knit the community is. Since they are living in a fishing community, people all over Gloucester know the dangers of the sea and can be sympathetic towards the families of those who have died at sea. Furthermore, not knowing whether or not your loved one is actually dead or not is the worst kind of grief a person can experience. This is an emotional roller coaster filled with disappointment, despair, and only a glimmer of hope. Lastly, the new storm that developed shows that there are always dangers when out on the sea and the destruction of the ships shows that nature is stronger than human creations. This concept of nature being better than human creations is also seen in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein tries his best to create life from death, but his creation does not please him and is not a duplication of life that is created through nature. This shows that there are some natural processes that cannot be identically copied through the efforts of man, no matter how much work is put into copying them.

Chapter 10: The Dreams of the Dead - Part 1

     The storm finally reaches land and the force of it can be felt all over the area surrounding Massachusetts. People on the land experience terrible conditions and some people even say that it is the worst storm that they have ever seen or experienced. Meanwhile, the search for Rick Smith continues, but unfortunately he is not found. Since Rick could not be found, all of the aircrafts help to try and locate the Andrea Gail. The combined efforts of the Tamaroa and numerous helicopters and planes are futile as they cannot find the Andrea Gail. The only items found are fuel barrels from the ship that are marked with an “AG” and the ships distress radio beacon (EPIRB). With no significant sign indicating where the Andrea Gail is, the rescue mission is suspended.

     The first half of this chapter is leading up to the conclusion of the novel. Details supporting the idea that the Andrea Gail has sunk and the crew is dead are stated. Also, Rick Smith is presumed to be dead because they cannot find him either. In terms of human nature, this half of the chapter does an excellent job of showing the importance of human life and how it takes precedence over almost everything. The rescue teams’ undying effort, even in times of little hope, shows the reader the dedication that the rescue crews have to doing their job to the best of their abilities. These rescue teams head out to save anyone that is in need of help, even in conditions that put their own lives in danger.

Chapter 9: Into the Abyss - Part 2

     The five crew members of the H-60 helicopter ditched the aircraft and are now at the mercy of the reckless sea. Spillane, one of the crew members, is greatly injured from the impact of hitting the sea at such a high velocity and he also loses all of his memory. After swimming to a life raft, he soon regains his memory and sees a light flashing in the distance. Remembering that the life vests that each member of the crew was wearing emitted a light, he quickly decided to swim towards the flashing light. Upon arrival to the where the flashing light was, he discovered that it was Mioli and Ruvola.  Having already saved Buschor, the Tamaroa eventually pulls Spillane, Mioli and Ruvola out of the water. Everybody in the H-60’s crew is now safe on the Tamaroa, except for Rick Smith. Although he is stuck in the water, he is one of the most experienced rescue men and it is estimated that he can last anywhere from 5-7 days at sea.

     The second half of this chapter can be related to the story The Allegory of the Cave. When Spillane loses all of his memory, he is unaware of anything that is around him and all he knows is survival. Driven by survival instincts, he sees a life raft and quickly swims to it. Since he lost his memory, he was unable to identify anything around him because we can only develop ideas of what things are from previous knowledge. This is parallel to how the people living in the cave could only see the shadows as reality because that was all they knew. They thought that the shadows existed solely by themselves and there was nothing more to the world. Also, the caveman coming out of the cave and realizing all that the world has to offer can be directly linked to when Spillane regains his memory. Both of them gain a new reality and more understanding of the world around them because their perspectives have been changed by their experiences. Lastly, this half of the chapter shows the importance of Maslow’s basic need for a person to feel a sense of love and belonging. Spillane shows this because once he is safe on the life craft; he travels a great distance with just the hopes of someone else being where the flashing light was. 

Chapter 9: Into the Abyss - Part 1

     Back in the town of Gloucester, it is finally acknowledged that there is something wrong with the Andrea Gail because its crew is not responding to the calls from the Coast Guard. Bobby Shatford’s girlfriend, Chrstina Cotter, is dismayed by this news and is hoping that the ship did not sink. The author then tells the rescue story of a Japanese sailor named Mikado Tomizawa. The District One Command Center in Boston receives a distress call from Mikado and the Coast Guard deploys a C-130 tanker plane to help save him. Also, the Air National Guard has to dispatch an H-60 helicopter because it can be refueled in midflight. Refueling in midflight is necessary because the rescue is far off the coast and a helicopter cannot hold enough fuel to make it there on one tank. The two aircrafts fly out to Mikado and decide that they cannot save him because the seas are too violent, but they leave two life rafts in case the ship he is on goes under. On their way back to base, the visibility of the sky is terrible and the H-60 cannot refuel properly because it cannot see the C-130 clearly. Without getting fuel from the C-130 tanker plane, the H-60 is on the verge of running out of fuel and the crew has to ditch the helicopter. Before ditching the helicopter, Ruvola, the pilot of the helicopter, calls into a nearby tanker ship named the Tamaroa and tells the captain to come rescue the helicopter’s crew.

     This half of the chapter shows that the community back in Gloucester finally receives news of the misfortunes of the Andrea Gail. The rumors that the Andrea Gail has sunk or that it has just lost its VHF are some possible endings to the novel and might even be a form of foreshadowing. Also, the fact that the rescue crew is willing to go so far out into the violent seas just for one human being shows the priority that human life has over everything else. The rescue crew knows that the mission will be a very dangerous one, but they are putting their primary need for safety in jeopardy in order to save the life of another individual. Lastly, their need for safety is being under satisfied because of their loyalty to the group of the Air National Guard and to the idea that anything that has the potential to save human life must be done. 

Chapter 8: The World of the Living - Part 2

     Although Leonard wants to stay on the ship, the Coast Guard calls a "manifestly unsafe voyage". A "manifestly unsafe voyage" is when everyone on the ship must be removed because of the perilous conditions. So, all of the crew is rescued from the Satori via an H-3 helicopter. This rescue was only possible because a rescue swimmer named Dave Moore dived down into the raging water and helped the crew into the rescue basket of the helicopter one by one. Once in the helicopter, the crew of the Satori was checked for health and greeted by their rescuers in a very excited manner. They were extremely happy that the crew was healthy and that they survived the terrible conditions aboard the ship. An hour and forty minutes later, the helicopter touched down at the Air Station Cape Cod and the ship's crew was asked questions by the rescue team. After those grave conditions, the Satori's crew was finally able to relax and feel a sense of safety.

     The second half of this chapter clearly shows Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The primary need for safety was given a greater priority than anything else. The stranded crew members of the Satori were never ignored and the rescue team did everything that they could to try and rescue them. These rescuers soon became the guardians of the stranded people and tried their best to protect the lives of the crew members. Also, after being saved, the crew reached a point of self-actualization and they were content with everything that they had in their lives. Every primary need was now attainable and with such a great improvement in their living conditions, the crew looked upon the world with great optimism. Lastly, this rescue mission showed that it was possible to survive the so-called "perfect storm" and it demonstrated the good nature of human beings.

Chapter 8: The World of the Living - Part 1

     Communication with the Andrea Gail is still not possible and the story of another vessel, the Satori, is told. Hurricane Grace combines with a cold front that came off of the Labrador Current and later on, combines with the Sable Island storm. This creates a huge storm that was considered by meteorologists to be the "perfect storm". The Satori is in the middle of this storm and is receiving a great deal of damage due to it. The crew consisting of Bylander, Stimpson, and Leonard soon lose all hope for survival. They do not see the Satori surviving the storm and they call a mayday, which is when the crew calls out for help to every ship in a two mile radius of the vessel. Not knowing whether the VHF is working or not and with their life boat being knocked off by a rogue wave, the crew helplessly tries to call out to other vessels using the VHF. Soon the message is picked up by a nearby ship and is relayed to the Coast Guard. Within hours, a jet called the Falcon is sent out to monitor the Satori and a large vessel called the Tamaroa is sent out to rescue the stranded crew members. Although it was sent out a couple of hours after the mayday call was reported, the Tamaroa will take twelve hours to reach the Satori. While waiting, the Falcon tells the crew that they will soon be saved and a great feeling of relief overcomes them. Although Bylander and Stimpson are ready to be taken off of the ship, Leonard decides to stay on the vessel because he believes that a captain should never abandon his ship.

     This half of the chapter does an excellent job of displaying many different primary and secondary needs. The crew scrambling to contact someone that can help them out of their current situation shows their struggle to achieve the primary need of life. The need for life is on the verge of being under satisfied in this situation because the Satori is on the precipice of going under and this would kill the whole crew aboard the ship. Also, Leonard's decision to stay on the ship and risk his life is a perfect example of someone that is under satisfying their primary need for life. His primary need for life is being under satisfied because of his loyalty to the group and his loyalty to the idea (secondary needs). The group that he is being loyal to is the crew of the Satori and the idea that he is being loyal to is the belief that a captain should never abandon his ship.

Chapter 7: The Zero-Moment Point

     The Andrea Gail is suspected to be in the zero-moment point and this means that the boat is in a position that can no longer be corrected. Being in this position indicates that it has turned over and will sink to the bottom of the ocean, along with its crew. Also, the crew is thought to be drowning in the ocean because of the capsized ship. The author describes the different ways that someone can drown and he also describes what it feels like when someone is drowning. The feeling of drowning is told with reference to the story of a man named James Lowson. This man experienced what it feels likes to drown and lived to tell the tale. With the use of this story, drowning is described as a painless way to die, where you also think about many different aspects of your life before you black out.

     This chapter was used to help explain what the Andrea Gail and its crew might be going through at the moment. The ship being wrecked and the crew being dead are just some assumptions that are being made about the Andrea Gail's situation. Also, when the author describes the different ways that someone can drown, they all revolved around the same concept. This is the concept of our primary need of having enough air to survive. When drowning, you do everything possible in order to get the air needed for you to survive and if this air cannot be acquired, your body shuts down and you die.

Chapter 6: Graveyard of the Atlantic

     The Andrea Gail is still in the storm and the conditions are getting increasingly worse as the boat sails along its path back towards Gloucester. Although the communication between the Andrea Gail and everyone else has been terminated because it lost all of its electronics, its experiences can be related to those of the Eishin Maru. The Eishin Maru was a boat that was following a path close to that of the Andrea Gail and since it still had its electronics, communication was possible. The conditions on this ship were treacherous and the crew was facing an almost inevitable peril at the hands of Hurricane Grace. These conditions included shattered windows, a steering system that no longer worked, and rough seas that jeopardized the safety of everyone on the ship. This gloomy fate was thought to be parallel to the fate of the Andrea Gail, although its exact conditions were not known. Lastly, the author ended off the chapter by stating that the seas they were sailing is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" because over 5,000 men have died there.

     In this chapter, the Andrea Gail's loss of communication is stressed because another ship's conditions had to be used in order to describe the conditions aboard the Andrea Gail. With the use of the Eishin Maru, conditions were described and the demeanor of all the crew members was shown. Lastly, when the sea near Sable Island was referred to as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic", it alluded to the death of all of the crew members of the Andrea Gail.  

Chapter 5: The Barrel of the Gun - Part 2

     Billy's ship continues into the storm and the waves are now up to 70 feet tall, accompanied by winds up to 115 miles/hour. Sidetracking from the current storm , the author tells the story of Murph, one of the crew members aboard the Andrea Gail. Sebastian Junger shares numerous stories of near-death experiences that Murph faced in his life and explained that he was either close to dying or hard to kill. Then the author returns to the story of Hurricane Grace and its reckless nature. The hurricane caused great damage to a boat that is enormous compared to the Andrea Gail and even made the boat change its course. The strength of the storm is clearly shown in this situation and all of this raw power is being exerted on the Andrea Gail. Lastly, the Andrea Gail can no longer communicate with fellow ships because the storm took out the electronics on the ship and for the first time, the Andrea Gail is completely alone.

     The second half of this chapter did an excellent job of showing the progression of the storm and the havoc that is creating in its path. Also, the basic need of being able to communicate with people and create friendships is related to this chapter. In the story, it stresses that now that the Andrea Gail cannot communicate with other vessels, it will be more difficult to survive the storm. This is because the weather updates from other ships are taken away from the crew of the Andrea Gail and this leaves them without any warning of future obstacles that the storm might throw their way.

Chapter 5: The Barrel of the Gun - Part 1

     Billy Tyne, captain of the Andrea Gail, ignores the warning of the storm and continues directly into the path of the storm to get to Gloucester as fast as possible. Although he ignored the advice to dock for a while, he does not fail to prepare his ship for the oncoming storm. Everything is tied down and many precautions are made to ensure that the boat will have the best possible chance to survive the storm. Later on, Billy receives a call from Linda Greenlaw, the weather monitor for all fishing boats. She tells him that the storm has turned into a hurricane called Hurricane Grace. Before he even knows it, Billy is the mercy of the powerful storm that is blowing winds up to 104 miles/hour and creating waves up to 45 feet tall.

     The first half of this chapter gives us a taste of what storms are like out on the sea for fishermen. It shows us that sometimes fishermen underestimate the storms because they happen so frequently and this can prove to be lethal. Also, Billy Tyne is putting the money that he gets from selling the fish ahead of his primary need of being safe. He no longer cares about his own safety and continues into the storm, although he was warned not to. This was driven by the fact that he wanted to reach Gloucester first and be able to sell his catch for the luxury of having large amounts of money.

Chapter 4: The Flemish Cap - Part 2

     The author explains the past experiences of the Andrea Gail and says that although there were alterations done to the boat, it is still dependable. Also, the author expresses the dangers that are associated with sea water that floods the deck of ships. In the present days of the Andrea Gail, Billy Tyne, the captain of the ship, is now catching large amounts of fish after three weeks of rather thin fishing. After catching about 40,000 pounds of swordfish (worth about $160,000), Billy Tyne decides that he has caught enough fish and sets his sights on going back to Gloucester. Lastly, at the end of the chapter it alludes to bad weather that is going to happen along the Andrea Gail's path.

     In this chapter, it explains regulations that ships must comply with before embarking on their voyages and shows that great care is taken when these vessels are created. Also, it demonstrates that fishing is about luck because after catching little fish for three weeks, Billy comes across large amounts of fish and meets his quota within a week. Lastly, the warning of the bad weather that is approaching foreshadows that the Andrea Gail will get caught in the storm and face great difficulties.

Chapter 4: The Flemish Cap - Part 1

     The author tells the story of the decreasing swordfish population and of how the government had to put a cap on the total amount of fish that a boat can catch. This is quite relevant because the lower number of fish allowed to be caught means that the fishermen have less fish to sell. After this side note, the author returns to the original story of the Andrea Gail and its crew. The different areas of the ship are described and the living conditions of the crew are explained. Also, it is stated that fishing vessels often help other ships that are in need. This is done because the ships that offer their help expect that they will receive the same generosity if they require help themselves and it is not purely done out of kindness.

     This chapter brings the reader more into the setting of the Andrea Gail and helps them understand what it feels like to be on the ship. Personally, I have been on a ship and this chapter provided many descriptions that could be connected to my own experiences. In addition to providing details about the boat, this chapter also did an excellent job of showing the relationships that fellow fishermen share with one another, even if they belong to different crews.

Chapter 3: God's Country

     The crew of the Andrea Gail is ready to set out and they say their final goodbyes to their loved ones. Despite Sully's (David Sullivan's) prediction of a bad trip, the boat heads out to sea in search of swordfish. After sailing for days, the Andrea Gail finally has its first set, which is when the crew lays out the lines and bait. Later on, the boat is hit by a near 30-foot wave that covers it in water, but it rights itself and the crew continues sailing. A week more of fishing is done, but the catch is not very good. This makes the captain, Billy, change the boat's direction to the west, which is off of the fishing charts. While all of this is happening, the weather is getting bad.

     This chapter explains the basic life of the fishermen aboard the Andrea Gail and what they do in order to catch the swordfish. Also, the wave that hits them is the first obstacle that they face on their voyage. Lastly, when the author says that the weather is getting bad, there is foreshadowing that implies the weather will cause huge problems for the Andrea Gail.

Chapter 2: Gloucester, Mass., 1991 - Part 2

     In this chapter, there are countless stories of men who go out fishing and either never return or come back to Gloucester severely injured. Sometimes the men are gone for extended periods of time and their families are stuck at home not knowing whether they will come back or not. The Andrea Gail and its crew are about to head out to sea on the same trek that many ships have went on before. The crew is restless and do not want to go out to sea, but they have to do it in order to make a living. One member drops out and they have to pick up a man named David Sullivan to fill his place. After this, the men spend their time stocking the boat with food, drink and plenty of ice. This ice is very important because it keeps the food from spoiling while they are sailing out to sea and keeps the fish fresh coming back from sea (there is a high demand for fresh fish).

     The second half of this chapter is mainly about the precautions that must be taken before the fishermen head out to sea and all of the preparations that must be done. This reminds me of all of the packing that must be done before i head out on vacation. Also, the fishermen's families not knowing whether or not their loved one will come back reminds me of soldiers that have to go out to war because their families do not know if they will return dead or alive either. Lastly, the author, Sebastian Junger, is foreshadowing the disaster of the Andrea Gail by recalling the disasters of other ships and their crews that happened in the past.

Chapter 2: Gloucester, Mass., 1991 - Part 1

     In Gloucester, Massachusetts, almost every single young man is a fisherman of some sort because it is the only way to make money and survive. Bobby Shatford is just one of these fishermen. He, along with the rest of his crew (Captain Billy Tyne, Pierre, Murphy, Moran, and Kosco), sail on a swordfishing boat called the Andrea Gail. These men  go out for a full month at sea, return for a week, and then head out to fish again. This is stressful to both the fishermen and their girlfriends or wives. Bobby's girlfriend, Christina Cotter, shows this because she always worries about whether Bobby will make it back to her or die at sea. Although there is high a risk of dying as a fisherman, there is also a big reward if they survive the trip. Successful fishermen have large amounts of money and most of the time, the money is just wasted on alcohol. One of the places to buy this alcohol is a place called the Crow's Nest. It is run by Ethel Shatford (Bobby's mother) and everyone that stays there knows each other. It acts as a home to those fishermen who do not have a family and everyone is welcome.

     This half of the chapter introduces the main character (protagonist), Bobby Shatford, and his girlfriend, Christina Cotter. Also, it shows a second major setting in the book, Gloucester, Massachusetts. Lastly, this half of the chapter shows  the life of the fishermen and the women that come from Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Chapter 1: Georges Bank

     On a midwinter day off of the coast of Massachusetts, the crew of a mackerel schooner saw a bottle with a note in it. Since they were on Georges Bank, one of the most dangerous fishing grounds in the world, the bottle most likely contained important information about the condition of a ship. Once the crew fetched the bottle and read the note, they discovered that it came from a boat called the Falcon. This boat left for Gloucester a year ago and according to the note, was wrecked and no longer functional. With the boat a wreck, the man who wrote the note and the rest of the crew were doomed to face the recklessness of the powerful ocean.

     This chapter was exciting and a good introduction to the book, The Perfect Storm. It included the main setting (the ocean) and it also alluded to possible situations that might occur in the plot of this novel (used foreshadowing). It was clearly stated that Georges Bank is a very dangerous place and that the ocean is also very dangerous. This unpredictability of the ocean, sets the reader (me) up for possible problems that the mackerel schooner might encounter on its voyage through the ocean.