In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex | Teaching Setting, Symbolism and Objects

Object Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major objects in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Objects

Nantucket - This is an island off the eastern coast of New England which was one of the most prominent whaling ports in the United States during the early nineteenth century. It was the home port for a sinking ship.

The Essex - At 87 feet long and 238 tons, this old whaling ship by 1819 had a reputation as being a lucky ship before being attacked by a large bull sperm whale on November 20, 1820. It sank after the attack.

Galapagos Islands - Located six hundred miles off...
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