We're Not Afraid to Die... if We Can All Be Together Class 11 Summary

We are not frightened to die...if we can all be together, according to the title of the story. The poet's message is that the narrative focuses on the bravery and fortitude displayed by the author's family in the midst of a storm that put their survival at risk. The younger members of the family, including the six-year-old boy and the seven-year-old daughter, also displayed such bravery and courage in the face of the storm.

Jon, a six-year-old boy, comforted his father that if he could pass away with his family at his side, he wouldn't be frightened to do so. Therefore, the author was inspired by these daring remarks to exert all of his efforts to repair the boat. Consequently, the title of the narrative was later inspired by Jon, his son's courageous comments.

Characters in the Story

• The Narrator/ Speaker

The 37-year-old businessman who was the storyteller. By maintaining his cool and intelligence in the difficult and trying moments that followed the irreversible harm done to Wavewalker, he demonstrated his abilities as a great leader and father. It wouldn't be inaccurate to state that his seamanship talents were the only thing that kept everyone on the boat alive.

• Mary

The wife of the narrator was Mary. She was an indomitable and brave woman. Following the boat's severe damage from the wave, she stood by her husband. In accordance with her husband's instructions, she turned the boat. She offered the narrator a great deal of emotional support.

• Suzanne

The 7-year-old daughter of the storyteller was named Suzanne. She exhibited a great deal of bravery. The moment the enormous wave hit the boat, she was in critical condition. Due to the head injuries, her eyes were severely swollen. Her arm had also been cut, but she remained unconcerned. Even though she kept telling her father that she was fine, she actually wasn't. To remove the blood clots from her brain, she underwent six small surgeries.

• Jonathan

The 6-year-old boy who travelled across the world with Gordon Cook was named Jonathan. He also acted quite bravely following the Wavewalker's terrible breaking by the enormous wave. When he replied that he would not be frightened to die if it meant being with his family, he gave his father fresh strength. The author was energised and courageous by these statements. He made the decision to battle all the way to the bitter end to prevent his family from drowning in the choppy sea.

• Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler

In order to navigate one of the world's toughest seas, the southern Indian Ocean, the narrator engaged two experienced sailors, Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler, at Cape Town. As soon as the ship began to fill with seawater, they showed themselves to be true heroes. For the sake of maintaining a manageable water level, they pumped furiously.

Summary of the Story

The 37-year-old businessman narrator set sail from Plymouth, England in July 1976 with his wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6, and daughter Suzanne, 7. They desired to undertake a lengthy sea voyage to circumnavigate the globe, just as Captain James Cook had done 200 years before. They set out in the Wavewalker, a 23-meter, 30-ton wooden-hulled yacht.

Their intended three-year, 105,000-kilometer trek went smoothly for the first part of it. They sailed to Cape Town along the west coast of Africa. To help them navigate the choppy southern Indian Ocean, they hired two crew members: American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler.

They encountered incredibly powerful gusts on their second day outside of Cape Town, and they continued to experience them for the following few weeks. A 15-meter wave height was reached. A 3500-kilometer distance east of Cape Town was where they were on December 25. They had a good time on Christmas and New Year's Day even though the weather was terrible.

A worsening of the weather occurred. Huge waves appeared on January 2. A speed of eight knots was being maintained. With the little sail lowered and the mooring rope attached in a loop across the back of the boat, they were able to slow down the vessel. After that, they put on life jackets, water-resistant clothing, and other safety equipment and awaited the storm.

Portentous quiet was the first indication that a catastrophe was about to occur. As soon as the wind died down, the sky turned gloomy. A very large wave and an increasing roar then appeared. There was a huge explosion that shook the deck. His head collided with the steering wheel, sending him flying over the side of the boat and into the lake. He was submerging into the water. He knew he was going to die.

His head suddenly broke the surface. Wavewalker was on the verge of submerging in water a few metres distant. She was then knocked upright by a wave. The narrator was being thrown around the deck like a rag doll by the following waves. His left rib cage fractured.

Blood, broken teeth, and a swollen mouth filled him. He managed to locate the steering wheel and set the stern for the following wave. He could not leave his position to look around the ship since there was water everywhere. They were sinking as a result of the decks being shattered, his wife Mary yelled when she opened the deck door at an unexpected moment.

She was instructed to take the wheel by the narrator. He swiftly made his way to the door after that. Herb and Larry were removing water from the ship. The wooden timbers were cracked. The entire starboard side has a bulged inward appearance. In the water, toys, charts, tins, clothing, and dishes all moved noisily. He entered the kid's cabin by crawling. Sue had a noticeable lump on her head. He didn't have time to take care of her.

He started fixing things by locating a hammer, screws, and canvas. He was able to drape fabric across the gaping holes and fasten water-resistant hatch covers. At this point, the majority of the water was being diverted over the edge. At that point, material began to clog the manual pumps. The short circuit in the electric pump was present.

Unsafely, the water level climbed. He discovered that the main anchor, the forestay sail, the jib, the dinghies, and their two backup hand pumps had all been carried off by the current. He found another electric pump, attached it to an outpipe, and water continued to be pumped out all night. Their Mayday calls produced no responses. Sue's head had become alarmingly bloated. She had a nasty cut on her arm and two huge black eyes.

The water on board had decreased by the morning of January 3 thanks to the pumps. For two hours, they each took turns taking a nap. Since the wave struck the Wavewalker, they had survived for 15 hours, but she was unable to transport them to Australia due to her weakened state. His analysis of the charts. A few hundred kilometres to the east, according to his calculations, were two small islands.

Le Amsterdam, a French research base, was where he hoped to arrive. They finally pumped the final few centimetres of water on January 4 after 36 hours of nonstop pumping. The water was still coming in, so they now had to keep up. Mary discovered a package of biscuits with corned beef.

They ate their first meal in nearly two days. Their joy was fleeting. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, dark clouds started to gather. The wind returned to its previous speed of 40 knots after an hour. The waves were rising. The weather deteriorated all night long. On January 5, around morning, their predicament was quite serious. To console the kids, the narrator stepped inside.

If they were going to pass away, Jon questioned. The narrator made an effort to reassure him that they would make it. Afterward, Jon remarked, "If we can all die here, we won't be afraid of dying." No words came to the narrator's mind to reply. He resolved to take on the sea.

He made the conscious decision to stop the ship with the undamaged port hull facing the approaching waves in order to protect the fragile starboard side. He utilised two 22-liter plastic barrels of paraffin and a crude marine anchor made of strong nylon rope. By evening, more water was pouring in through the damaged planks.

The wind lessened in intensity on January 6 in the morning. Sextant reading obtained by the storyteller. He did some quick maths. He received a handmade card from her when she entered. Mary and the narrator were depicted in caricatures by her.

Additionally, it contained a message of thanks and affection. After double-checking the maths, the narrator requested Larry to steer a path of 185 degrees at 2 o'clock. At around 5 o'clock, he could then anticipate seeing an island.

The narrator sprinted onto the deck. Ile Amsterdam was discernible as a silhouette. They made an offshore anchorage that night. The following morning, they were welcomed and assisted in getting ashore by all 28 island residents. The narrator had thoughts of Larry and Herbie once they had arrived at the land.

Mary had remained at the wheel during those important hours, and they had maintained their composure in the face of extreme tension. Then he remembered his seven-year-old daughter who did not want them to worry about her brain injuries and his six-year-old son who was not frightened to pass away.