Summary of “We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together”
“We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together” is a biographical account of a journey in the southern Indian Ocean. It is written by Gordon Cook and Alan East and represents the awakening of survival instincts in adverse situations. The story is told in a narrative mode. The narrator here is a businessman who is 37 and has always wanted to complete an around-the-world voyage as Captain James Cook did many years ago. His love for his children – Suzanne and Jonathon – make him stronger in the face of uncertainty and devastation. He and his family learned seafaring skills for sixteen years and finally set out for the journey on a professionally-built ship – the Wavewalker. They tested the ship by exposing it to the roughest weather for several months. We’re Not Afraid to Die Summary is a part of BYJU’S CBSE Summary. Students can also visit CBSE Notes to access various other learning materials for CBSE Class 11 English syllabus.
CBSE Class 11 English “We’re Not Afraid to Die if We Can All Be Together” Summary
The narrator describes a particular part of his journey in the southern Indian Ocean. He is chronological in his approach towards the narration. He and his wife Mary and their two children, Jonathan and Suzanne, who were 6 and 7 years of age, respectively, started their journey from Plymouth with an estimated journey of three years in July 1976. The first part of their 1,05,000-kilometre-long journey went smoothly until they reached Cape Town. From there, they hired two crewmen – Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler to help them tackle the rough sea of the southern Indian Ocean.
As they sailed out of Cape Town, they started to experience gales which blew continuously for the next few weeks. The narrator was not bothered as much about the gales as he was about the waves. He found them to be alarmingly high – almost as high as their main mast. By December 25th, they were 3500 kilometres east of Cape Town. Despite the rough weather, they celebrated Christmas with joy and pomp. The rough weather continued till the new year and resisted change further on.
On the evening of 2nd January, there came an ominous silence – with no wind and a big roar, what sounded like thunder turned out to be a big wave that wreaked havoc on the ship. The narrator was wounded in the process, and so was Suzanne. As the ship was about to capsize, another wave hurled her upright. The author asked his wife to handle the wheel while he went to fix the damaged starboard to prevent water from entering the ship. This problem was accompanied by other issues like blocked hand pumps and a short circuit in the electric pump. The narrator and his crew spent the whole night pumping, steering and working on the radio to issue Mayday calls. Suzanne’s injury on her head had worsened.
The next morning the water level in the ship was under control, and while looking for a leak below the water level, the narrator found the ship’s main rib frames smashed to the keel. It was evident that the ship would not hold together till Australia. They decided to reach Ile Amsterdam – a small island a few hundred kilometres to the east. On January 4th, after 36 hours of pumping, the water level in the ship had come down to a few centimetres. Owing to the severely damaged condition of the ship, they hoisted the storm jib instead of the main mast and headed towards the island.
Clouds started to form around 4 p.m. in the evening again. A storm started within the next hour and continued for the next whole day. When the narrator went to comfort his children, Jonathan asked him if they were going to die. The narrator assured him that they could make it through the storm. To this, Jonathan responded that they would not be scared to die alone. This response rendered the narrator speechless. It strengthened his resolve to survive in the face of nature’s calamity.
On 6th January, the storm receded, and the wind was at ease. The narrator was working in the chartroom trying to calculate the wind speeds, drift, currents, etc. when his daughter Suzanne came up to him with a card she had made herself. She expressed her love for her parents in it. The narrator felt energetic on a new level to look for a survival strategy. Around 2 p.m., he asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees, hoping they found the island and went for a nap in his bunking bed.
He was awakened at 6 p.m. by Suzanne, who wanted to hug him. When he asked her why she wanted to hug him, Suzanne informed him that he had found the island and was the world’s best daddy and captain. They anchored offshore for the night and were welcomed by the island’s inhabitants in the morning. As he stepped onto the island, he found himself grateful to Larry, Herbie, his wife and his two children, who were brave in the face of danger and were not afraid to die.
Conclusion of “We’re Not Afraid to Die If We Can All Be Together”
We’re Not Afraid to Die Summary gives us some valuable morals. The words spoken by Jonathan about staying together in the face of death inspire the narrator to do everything to save the people on the ship. In the face of danger, staying together can motivate us to cope with the situation bravely. Suzanne’s bravery and endurance during the event also show the importance of maintaining a strong character in the face of adversity. Strength in unity is an underlying theme of the story.
A detailed understanding of the poem can help students critically analyse and appreciate the poem. Students can refer to our website for further information and content related to the Class 11 English subject for better understanding and preparation for CBSE board exams. They can also access topics like grammar and writing in English.
