In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

As the captain of the Essex, Pollard is one of the twin poles around which the narrative of the story revolves. Having been married only two months and newly commissioned as a captain, Pollard set off on the Essex bearing a tremendous amount of responsibility. In direct contrast to his first mate, Pollard was soft-spoken, and this kindly demeanor gained the respect of his crew immediately: “Instead of shouting and cursing at the men, Pollard spoke without overbearing display or ungentleman-like language” (34). When necessary, however, Pollard was able to command the obedience and respect of his men. When a dispute among the crew over food rations arose, he demonstrated that he “had the backbone to put the men in their place” (61); he was never again challenged by any save Chase. Pollard also proved himself a worthy navigator, able to guide their journey by a technique called “dead reckoning” in the absence of proper navigational tools.

Pollard was eager to prove his own worth and skill, possibly to the ultimate detriment of the mission. In the first major obstacle to their expedition’s success, Pollard failed to take in the sails in time to avoid damage from a major storm. However, Philbrick suggests that Pollard’s most significant failing was his willingness to defer to his junior officers—most notably, in the decision to sail all the way to South America after the wreck. Pollard’s willingness to collaborate might have made him likable, but it sometimes eclipsed his better judgment.

After surviving the ordeal, Pollard would return to Nantucket and ultimately take up the vocation of night watchman, providing care for his island community in a way that he could not for the men who had set sail with him upon the fated whaling expedition. While he never fully recovered from the ordeal, he took his new duties as watchman quite seriously and generally impressed people as cheerful and good-natured, living in Nantucket until his death in 1870.