Fear Quotes in In the Heart of the Sea

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Chase and Joy were disposed to believe that the people of the Society Island practiced [...] the eating of human flesh. (6.17)

This is the irony to end all ironies—thanks to their fear of stumbling upon a cannibalistic society, Chase and Joy spark a chain of events that directly leads to them becoming cannibals themselves. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Quote #8

None of the men had slept all night. All of them had expected to die. (7.68)

By now, the surviving crewmembers have been in fear for so long that they no longer expect to survive. The only way to avoid this fate is to manage their fear, but that's a lot easier said than done.

Quote #9

"[W]e could distinctly hear the furious thrashing of their tails in the water [...] and our weak minds picture out their appalling and hideous aspects." (10.42)

Chase, in particular, is haunted by the possibility of another whale attack. It's funny—just days earlier, this very sound would have sent dollar signs flying throughout his head. Now, after the disaster, this sound only reminds him of everything he's lost. He's not exactly looking forward to Round Two, either.