What are the motifs in In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick?

Suffering is a recurring idea in the story. The crew of the Essex suffered both physically and emotionally during their last voyage. This suffering began even before the ship's sinking. Nickerson faced the prospect of leaving all that was familiar to him for the first time, venturing into an unknown world. At the beginning of their journey, many of the men suffered from seasickness. As the journey progressed the men had to face dangerous storms that threatened to overturn the ship and the reality of being away from their families and other loved ones for years at a time with little communication with them.