Figures in the fog. Ways of telling the Antarctic whaler's history (20th century, Antarctica)

NUVIALA ANTELO, MARÍA VICTORIA; SENATORE, MARÍA XIMENA

Cambridge

Encuentro; 9th Meeting of the SCAR History Expert Group (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research).; 2013

Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research- Scott Polar Research Institute

How have the whaling Antarctica stories been told? Narratives tell stories whilethey build the world in which these stories take place. Is it possible to thinkabout an Antarctica beyond exploration, isolation, harshness, icy landscapes, andhostile nature? Is it possible to think the unthinkable? Finding new ways oftelling stories is not only learning about what is not yet known but also reachingbeyond it. That is to say, an Antarctica of exploitation, inhabited lands,industrialized landscapes, human occupation, constant movement, circulation andcommunication, not only of long journeys but also of extensive stays.The aim of this paper is to identify the ways in which the whalers? Antarcticastories have been told. We believe that the ways of telling stories contribute tobuilding, creating and producing pictures of Antarctica. In a certain way theystructure the limits of what can be considered possible as well as of what isunthinkable or beyond our visual range.Our analysis is focused on a number of stories that can be considered the entrancedoorway for those readers interested in the whaling activity in Antarctica. Theselected pieces are part of a continuum that spreads from academic literature togeneral literature while fluctuating between the history of Antarctica and thehistory of whaling.In order to explore these stories we defined three analytical axes: time, space andpeople. These axes allow us to identify the pictures that shape the whalingAntarctica as it is today known and recognizable. The outcome of this paper poses afresh start and a new challenge: looking beyond the existing pictures and using newnarrative ways. Our objective is not only to come to know the unknown but toimagine different whaling Antarcticas: to imagine the unimaginable.