Journey to the end of the World

Journey to the end of the World

                              By Tishani Doshi

Analysis :

The chapter ‘Journey to the end of the World’ written by Tishani Doshi, an Indian poet, writer and dancer based in Chennai.

The chapter is a beautiful and detailed description of the coldest, driest, windiest continent in the world, Antarctica.

It is a beautiful and informative account of Antarctica by the narrator, a south Indian person who went on an expedition there with a group of teenagers affiliated with ‘Students on Ice’ programme.

The story narrates the expedition describing its history, human impact on geography and walk on ocean.

The lesson gives an insight into how Antarctica is the place we should visit to have a glimpse of the past, present and future in its realistic form.

The story conveys the message that we must not ignore our environment, places and geography. Nature needs to be preserved, developed and maintained.

According to Tishani Doshi, visiting Antarctica is necessary as we can understand how world came into existence and how it can come to an end.

Summary

The lesson revolves around the world’s most preserved place, Antarctica. Tishani Doshi, a south Indian person went on an expedition with a group of teenagers affiliated with ‘Students on Ice’ programme taking young minds to different ends of the world. The programme provides an opportunity to the young minds to sensitise them towards the realistic version of climatic changes happening in the world. According to the founder of the organisation, we are the young versions of future policymakers who can turn the situation around. 

They went there on a Russian research vessel known as the Akademik Shokalskiy. For travelling to Antarctica from Madras it takes nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies and just as many ecospheres to reach there. Antarctica is one of the coldest, driest and windiest continents in the world.

The chapter gives an insight into how Antarctica is the place we should visit to have a glimpse of the past, present and future in its realist form. According to Tishani Doshi, visiting Antarctica is necessary if one wants to comprehend the past, present, and future of the planet because Antarctica is the place where the world’s geological history is preserved. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent, Gondwana existed, and which centred roughly around the present day Antarctica with warmer climate, and huge variety of flora. For 500 million years Gondwana thrived from the time of dinosaurs to the age of the mammals, then divisions such as countries came into being. It displays history of evolution and extinction.

Her encounter with the ice-mysteries of this ice-region was exhilarating. As far as the eyes can see, it is completely white and its uninterrupted blue horizon gives immense relief. There, 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect without any human markers such as trees and buildings, only interrupted by snow avalanches. It is shocking to believe that India and Antarctica were part of the same supercontinent Gondwana, that got segregated into countries giving rise to the globe we know today. Antarctica had a warmer climate until then. Despite human civilisation around the globe, it still remains in it pure form. It is home to a lot of evidences that can give us a glimpse of the past and at the same time, Antarctica helps us foresee the future. The place gives an awakening to threatening alarm that global warming is actually real. Antarctica may be warm again and even if it does, we will be alive to see it or not. Nobody knows it.