This article we are not afraid to die is about a family who desires to go on a voyage around the world with their friends and how they managed to show great valor and with their expertise they tackle all the hurdles when their ship is wrecked. The family consists of a father, Gordon Cook, and his wife Mary along with their lovely children Jonathan and Suzanne. We in this article have penned down the summary of we are not afraid to die along with character sketches and NCERT Solutions so that students would get a better idea of the story and would be able to solve the back exercises.
We are not afraid to die Class 11 Central Theme
The Summary of We are not afraid to die…… if we all are together teach us an important lesson and is based on unity among the relations. It also focuses on how we should react when we are surrounded by problems from everywhere and how we should not lose hope. Being optimistic is the key to tackle all the hurdles and pave the way to success.
We Are Not Afraid To Die Summary Class 11th Character Sketches
The narrator
He was a 37-year-old businessman and a father of two beautiful and lovely children. He also proved to be a great captain during their rough times amidst all odd situations. He used his wisdom and manages most of the tasks single-handheld. It was his sea-faring skills that save all of them from the mighty danger.
Wife mary
She showed valiantness and stood by her husband at odd times. She at times steered the boat also which provided immense support to the narrator.
Suzzane
She was though seven years but was mature enough and showed great courage even she was badly injured, her eyes were badly swollen and there was a deep cut on her arm but she did not cry and incessantly told her father that she was alright.
Jonathan
He was a 6 yr old son of Gordon Cook, who accompanied him on this voyage. But after the mighty waves turned hit their boat, he just as his sister behave courageously and gave new strength by saying to his father that we are not afraid to die if we can all be together.
Larry Vigil and Herb Seigler
They both were professionals and were hired to counter, one of the world’s roughest seas i.e. Southern Indian ocean. They pumped like madmen to keep the water levels low and proved to be a good choice for the family.
We Are Not Afraid To Die Summary Class 11th
The story shows extreme valiantness and adeptness shown by Gordon Cook, his lovely family, and crewman in times of struggle to survive after a storm hit their ship. In July 1976, the narrator with his family set on the voyage from Plymouth, England around the world on a professionally built ship” wave walker” to one of the toughest seas of the southern ocean just like the voyage made 200 years earlier by a famous captain cook.
The initial kilometers went off pleasantly but on the second day, “Wave Walker” began to encounter strong gales, though it did not worry Gordon.
On 25th December, the ship was 3500km to the east of cape town. The family celebrated their new year on the ship while on the voyage. But the weather remained the same and conditions became worse and early in the morning on 2 January, the waves were sailing at a very high speed.
They could see the waves in front of their eyes and the noise of the storm was very painful. It lashed away everything. So they all put on life jackets, attached lifelines, and waited.
After a tremendous explosion white water broke over the ship, the narrator’s head smashed into the wheel and he was aware of flying overboard. He accepted his approaching death and became calm.
When the narrator’s head popped out, he saw that the ship was held upright so he grabbed his jacket and sailed to the main pole. The waves tossed him around the neck and he was injured as his left ribs were cracked and his mouth filled with blood.
The ship was filled with water everywhere and the narrator could feel water below the ship also. Suddenly, his wife came screaming and told him that they were sinking. Soon the narrator managed to prevent water from entering the ship. But their problems begin with this, hand pumps stopped working. Still, the narrator found a spare electric pump and started repairing it the whole night to send radio signals. Their last hope was a French scientific base.
Larry and herb were pumping water like a mad man. The timbers were broken and the starboard had sunken clothes, toys, and all stuff roaming in the ship. Now, the narrator has to fix all the problems as soon as possible otherwise the ship will sink in the sea. The children showed exceptional valiantness and they knew if they were together they would not be able to die. Sue got injured on the head and Gordon was very determined to see their courage.
Finally, they reached Amsterdam’s island where they were welcomed by 28 denizens. The never-dying and optimistic attitude made it possible for them to survive amidst odd situations. Children’s courage and optimistic attitude gave them extra strength to fight and survive.
We Are Not Afraid To Die Class 11 NCERT Solutions
Q1.The following words used in the text as ship terminology are also commonly used in another sense. In what context would you use the other meaning?
Knot:
(a)in string/rope: a joint made by tying together two pieces or ends of the string, rope, etc. e.g. to tie a knot.
(b)of hair: a way of twisting hair into a small round shape at the back of the head: e.g. She had her hair in a loose knot.
(c)Inwood: a hard round spot in a piece of wood where there was once a branch.
(d)Group of people: a small group of people standing close together e.g. Little knots of students had gathered at the gate,
(e)of muscles: a tight, hard feeling in the stomach, throat, etc. caused by nerves, anger, etc.
- Stem:
(a) e.g. I could feel a knot of fear in my throat, serious and often disapproving; expecting somebody to obey you: e.g. His voice was the stem.
(b) serious and difficult: e.g. we faced stem opposition. - Boom:
(a) In Business/Economy: a sudden increase in trade and economic activity, a period of wealth and success, e.g. a boom in mobile phone sales.
(b) Popular period, a period when something such as a sport or a type of music suddenly becomes very popular and successful, e.g. The only way to satisfy the cricket boom was to provide more playgrounds.
(c) Sound, a loud deep sound, e.g. the distant boom of the guns.
(d) In a river/harbor, a floating barrier is placed across a river or the entrance to a harbor to prevent ships or other objects from coming in or going out.
(e) For Microphone, a long pole that carries a microphone. - Hatch:
(a) an opening in a wall between two rooms, especially a kitchen and a dining room, through which food can be passed, e.g. a serving hatch.
(b) a door in an aircraft or a spacecraft, e.g.
(c) an escape hatch an opening or a door in a floor or ceiling, e.g. a hatch to the attic,
(d) to make a young bird, fish, insect, etc. come out of an egg,
(e) to create a plan or idea, especially in secret, a person or thing that gives somebody a feeling of safety, e.g. the anchor of the family. - Anchor:
(a)to fix something firmly in position so that it cannot move, e.g. Make sure the apparatus is securely anchored.
(b) to firmly base something on something else, e.g. Munshi Prem Chand’s novels are anchored in rural life.
(c) to be the person who introduces reports or reads the news on television or radio, e.g. She anchored the evening news for five years.
Q2. The following three compound words end in -ship. What does each of them mean?
- Airship: a large aircraft without wings, filled with a gas which is lighter than air, and driven by engines.
- Flagship:
(i) The main ship is a fleet of ships in the navy.
(ii) The most important product, service, building, etc. that an organization owns or produces, e.g. The company is opening a new flagship store in Gurgaon. - Lightship: a small ship that stays at a particular place at sea and that
has a powerful light on it to warn and guide other ships.
Q3. The following are the meanings listed in the dictionary against the phrase ‘take on’. Locate the meaning in which it is used in the third paragraph of the account.
take on sth: to begin to have a particular quality or appearance, to assume sth.
take sb on: to employ sb; to engage sb.
to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game, contest, or conflict.
take sb/sth on: to decide to do sth to allow to enter (e.g. a bus, plane, or ship); to take sth/sb on board.
In the third paragraph of the account, ‘take on’ is used in the sense of ‘take sb on’ i.e. ‘to employ sb’; “to engage sb’ The words are: We took on two crewmen….to help us….
Conclusion
The summary of we are not afraid to die is a very exciting memory account of family experiences when gone for a voyage. It also shows how much strength and determination can be shown by even small children while facing the strong waves of the mighty sea. Their spirit to live together gave them immense power to brave death together.
