Examine Captain Scott’s last expedition to the Antarctic of 1911-1913, through the narrative of Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s book The Worst Journey in the World - a classic of Antarctic exploration literature. A member of Scott’s fateful Antarctic expedition of 1911-1913, Apsley Cherry-Garrard accompanied Dr Edward Wilson and Birdy Bowers on the epic mid-winter six-week journey to obtain Emperor penguin eggs from a penguin colony at Mount Crozier. He then later accompanied Scott’s party part of the way to the South Pole. We also examine the writing and publication of these true adventures of life and death in the deep freeze of Antarctica.
- The context of Antarctic exploration in the late 19th and early 20th century; The race for the south Pole – Scott and Amundsen’s expeditions
- Scott’s expedition: Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s role; Trip to Australia and NZ; South to Cape Evans
- Edward Wilson’s dream of obtaining Emperor Penguin eggs; Winter and the beginning of the journey
- The outward journey – loss of tent; The return journey.
- Scott’s journey to the south pole – support teams; Cherry-Garrard’s support party returns
- Other support team return- pressure on supplies
- Cherry-Garrard’s sledge journey with the dog team and the consequential debate about whether he should have continued on to search for the missing party
- Scott’s return and death; The search party for Scott
- The aftermath; Cherry-Garrard’s writing and publication of the book
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the context of Antarctic exploration and its importance to English society/prestige.
- Understand the dual process of science and exploration to the expedition, in contrast to Amundsen’s goals.
- Appreciate Cherry-Garrard’s experiences and unique writing skills.
