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For the most part, Philbrick uses simple language to describe the tragic voyage of the Essex. Although the majority of the book is free of strong or vulgar language, there are several sections that deal with the butchering of whales and how the men probably dismembered their dead fellowship mates. Philbrick does not sensationalize these topics in any way, but uses the sections to create a deeper understanding of the brutality and gore of whaling and what the men had to go through to survive.