Among Polynesians; Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. Antecedent

The Kon-Tiki expedition ended when the Kon-Tiki shipwrecked on the Raroia reef. After about a week, the native peoples found and got to know the Kon-Tiki crew. The native people hosted many celebrations in honor of the crew, who proved the existence of the tribe's ancestor Tiki. Finally the crew and the Kon-Tiki were taken by the "Tamara" to Tahiti where they could be taken back to their respective homes.  "But the six of us on deck, standing beside our nine dear balsa logs, were grateful to be all alive. And in the lagoon at Tahiti six white wreaths lay alone, washing in and out, in and out, with the wavelets on the beach." This quote expresses feelings of the departure of the Kon-Tiki crew from Tahiti after their long expedition across the pacific. Here the crew was being taken by a Norwegian steamer, Thor I,back to America. In this quote, Heyerdahl expresses how leaving Tahiti was a bittersweet goodbye by mentioning the six wreaths in the lagoon. In Tahiti, leaving a wreath in the lagoon upon departure is a tradition showing that the departing would like to come back to Tahiti. Although departing from  Raroia would have been sad, departing from Tahiti would mark the end of a lifestyle that the crew had developed over the past few months. Stepping on the steamer took the crew out of the ancient way of life and back into the present time. The connections with ancient peoples and nature were broken by the steamer that, instead of working with the ocean's natural currents, pushed through them in typical modern day style.

The crew probably left the lagoon of Tahiti with mixed emotions. Pride was probably felt for accomplishing the expedition that so many people deemed impossible. Relief was probably felt in knowing that all the members of the crew had made it across the sea alive and mostly unharmed. Joy was probably felt knowing that the crew would soon be able to see family and friends. In contrast, the crew was probably saddened knowing that they were leaving both the new friends they had made and the place they had called home for so many months. As William Shakespeare once wrote, "All good things must come to an end."

This is a picture of the Kon-Tiki crew dressed for celebration.








"Waves were breaking out on the blue sea. We could no longer reach down to them." Here, waves is the antecedent to them.