QUESTION BANK – WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO DIE … IF WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER
By-Gordon Cook and Alan East
Short Answer Type Questions:
1. What preparations did the narrator and his wife make for their round-the-world sea
voyage?
The narrator and his wife wanted to ‘duplicate’ the round-the-world voyage made 200 years ago
by Captain James Cook. They had been making formidable preparations for the last 16years. First,
They got ‘Wavewalker’ a boat specially designed and professionally built for this purpose. They
tested it for months in the roughest weather. They spent all their leisure time in strengthening
seafaring skills in British waters. They were both mentally and physically prepared to undertake
their exceptionally long and challenging sea voyage.
2. Describe the boat Wavewalker.
The narrator wanted to duplicate the round-the-world voyage made by Captain James Cook 200
years ago. To undertake this journey, they got a boat built professionally. The boat, named
Wave walker was 23 meters long, 30 ton wooden-hulled sailboat. They had spent months fitting
it out and testing it in the roughest weather conditions.
3. Why did they take on two crewmen with them at Cape Town?
Before heading East from Cape Town, they took on two crewmen who were experienced seamen.
They were Larry Vigil, an American and Herb Seigler, a Swiss. The narrator knew that they would
require expert help to tackle one of the world’s roughest seas – the southern Indian Ocean.
4. How did the voyagers celebrate their Christmas and where?
On Christmas Day, the voyagers were 3500 kms East of Cape Town in the southern Indian Ocean.
Though the sea was rough, they enjoyed the wonderful holiday. They celebrated Christmas
singing carols complete with a Christmas tree. They expected the weather to improvebut it didn’t.
5. How was the weather on the morning of 2nd January?
On New Year’s Day, the weather saw no improvement and was bad. On 2nd January, it
got even worse. The waves were gigantic. They were sailing with only a small storm jib but still
they were going fast. As the ship rose to the top of each wave, they could see the endless,
enormous sea rolling towards them. The wind seemed to be howling.
6. What attempts did the narrator make to protect himself and his family from the huge
waves?
The waves were gigantic on 2nd January. To protect themselves, they decided to slow
down the boat. They dropped the storm jib and lashed a heavy mooring rope in a loop across the
stem. Then they double-lashed everything, went through their life-raft drill, attached lifelines donned
oilskins and life jackets and prepared themselves for the worst-case scenario.
7. “I had no time to worry about bumped heads”, says the narrator. What problem do you
think deserved his immediate attention?
The problem that deserved immediate attention was the repair of the starboard side, which had
been smashed; with every wave, it was letting water enter the boat. If he did not make some repairs,
the boat would have surely sunk, and they would have drowned.
8. What did Sue say when she was asked by her father about why she had not complained
about her grave injuries?
Sue had been injured badly when the wave had hit the ship. Her head had swollen alarmingly. She
had two black eyes and she had a deep cut on her arm. When asked why she had not complained
about her injuries earlier, she replied that she had not wanted to worry her parents when they were
trying to save them all from sinking.
9. What happened on the morning of 3rd January?
By the morning of 3rd January, they had managed to pump out the water out of the boat to a
reasonable level and the situation was under control but, they suspected a huge leak below and
found that nearly all the boat’s main rib frames were damaged down to the keel. The narrator
knew that Wave walker will not be able to hold together long enough to reach Australia.
The narrator made some calculations and found two small islands a few hundred kilometers to the East.
They hoped to reach one of them.
10. Why did the narrator call Ile Amsterdam the most beautiful island in the world?
Ile Amsterdam was the only hope of survival for the voyagers and so, when they reached there, it
looked the most beautiful island to the narrator. He was successful in saving his family and
crewmen by reaching there. He had won the fight for survival. If they had not reached the island,
they would surely have sunk.
Long Answer Type Questions:
1. Highlight the tremendous courage and forbearance shown by the two children during
the struggle to keep the boat from sinking. What values do you learn from them?
The two children, Suzanne and Jonathan, showed tremendous courage and forbearance during the
epic struggle put up by their parents and the crewmen to keep the boat from sinking. Sue had been
injured badly when the big wave hit the boat. Her head had swollen alarmingly and both her eyes
were hurt. She also had a deep cut on her arm. But she did not complain about her injuries as she
did not want to worry her parents when they were trying to save them from sinking. When the
author went to comfort the children, his son Jonathan, asked him if they were going to die. When
he was assured that they would all survive, he told his father that they were not afraid of dying if
they could all be together. Moreover, Sue had patience and power enough to even draw the
caricatures of her parents with a message of hope and gratitude to her parents. The children, thus,
exhibit extraordinary patience, courage and tolerance.
2. The hurdles of life can be challenged if we have confidence to make optimum use of our
potential. Elaborate.
The statement holds true in the light of the story ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die…….’. The
narrator along with his wife, children, and two crewmen overcame the worst situations and
defeated death by fighting the adverse situations which cropped up during their voyage. When
the big wave hit the boat, it was severely damaged and the narrator was badly injured. However,
he did not pay attention to it and Mary also helped by following instruction without worrying about the
destruction around. Both Larry and Herb kept pumping out water and did not stop.
Moreover, when the hand-pumps stopped working and the electric pump short-circuited, he did
not lose confidence and used electric pump to drive out water from the boat. Even the children
had confidence in their father and they hoped to survive. They also showed great courage. Jon
said that they were not afraid to die if they are all together. Sue made a card to thank her parents.
It was a great example of unity and trust that they had on each other. Thus, it can be concluded
that by staying optimistic like the children and making the best use of your potential like the
narrator, one can fight adversities and be a winner.
3. “We are Not afraid to die’ is a saga of patience and bravery. Comment.
The story “we are not afraid to die” is a story of the rare courage and perseverance of the narrator’s
family. The narrator’s undertaking to replicate Captain James Cook’s voyage was a challenging
task, as they had to sail in some of the roughest seas. However, the voyagers kept their sprits high
and made every effort to save the boat and their lives. Even in the worst of circumstances, the
captain did not give up hope and tried his best to protect the ship from flooding. All the dangers and
disasters were confronted with patience, courage and determination. Even the children showed
exemplary courage. They were not afraid to die if they were all together. The two crewmen
continuously pumped out water and never complained. They trusted their captain and worked as a
team. Luckily the voyagers were able to come out of a near death experience due to their never-say die attitude.
Thus, the story proves to be a saga of patience and bravery.
4. The reaction of the crew and children gives us an insight into the human mind and how it
can help us survive any disaster. Discuss.
The reaction of the crew and children gives us an insight into the human mind. The crew reacted to
the danger with a fighting spirit and optimism. Their undaunted efforts helped them to survive the
disaster. On the other hand, the children showed amazing maturity and resilience in the face of
disaster. They remained strong and composed. Despite serious injuries, both the children displayed
courage and patience. Adopting a courageous attitude in times of difficulties motivates one to face
the upheavals of life courageously. It is rightly said “cowards die many times before their death: the
valiant face death only once” and when the valiant to die, they die a heroes’ death. The story inspires
us to maintain our calm in a crisis. Stress and panic only worsen the situation. If we accept difficulties
as a way of life and face them with a brave front, they soon fade away. By being positive and not
Losing faith in ourselves can help us to survive any disaster.