In the novel Death on the Ice by author Cassie Brown we read of a tragic sealing disaster where the crew of the ship Newfoundland were lost in a deadly blizzard. The results were fatal. 78 men from the ships crew were frozen; their bodies found scattered around ice pans like seals. When faced with a situation such as this, tragedy brings out either the strengths or weaknesses of an individual. In this disaster many men proved to be strong while others let in to the pain and drifted off into a deep sleep never to wake again. Some others just proved they were not responsible and did not pay attention. A mistake that caused the death of so many men.
Cecil Mouland, a young man from Musgravetown proved he had the will to live. Before leaving his hometown to got to the hunt, Cecil promised his lover Jessie that he would return safely and take her hand in marriage. One relative of Cecil's told him to always keep chewing tobacco in his mouth so that his face would not freeze and have to come home to his sweetheart all frostbitten. Mouland was determined to live through this ordeal and make it home to Jessie as promised. He proved that the will to go on would indeed pay off. Once Cecil was aboard the Stephano his eyesight had been lost and he was advised to place orange half's on his eye's. As the pain and burning seemed to have taken over his body and as the tears ran, he was doing this all in the name of love know that in the end he will have his Jessie's hand. Cecil Mouland was one of the sealers who's strengths were brought out when he was determined to live- even through such turmoil.
Another man who's strength was reviled to us in the story was young Jesse Collins. He had the will to live. We saw him turn into a responsible young man who not only cared for his own life but also about the lives of those around him. Jesse lead the men through the blizzard and later while the men were on the ice Jesse told the men to pretend that they were fishing.