A Winter Amid The Ice is a short adventure story written by Jules Verne in 1855.
Jean Cornbutte is awaiting the arrival of his son's ship the Jeune-Hardie, so that he can witnesses his son's marriage to his cousin Marie. However when the ship arrives it bears a black flag and the first mate Andre Vasling informs Jean that his son and two other crewmen were assumed dead in a botched rescue mission of another ship. This being a Jules Verne story Jean decides to restock the ship and go out on a voyage to find what happened to his son. Andre also has ulterior motives that included marrying Marie himself and when Marie decides she simply must come along, so does he.
The journey takes them up into the frozen North where they face much adventure and danger. Plus mutiny and polar bears.
This story features examples Of:
- Bears Are Bad News: Three polar bears arrive at the smell of cooked fat. They see no problem trying to kill every human in their way.
- A House Divided: The crew eventually splits into two factions with Louis in charge of the loyal crew with Vasling leading the two Norwegian rescuees and Aupue.
- Love Triangle: Andre Vasling wants to marry Louis' fiance Marie but Marie is still devoted to Louis and doesn't even really know of Andre's plans until very late in the story.
- Never Found the Body: This is what makes Jean Cornbutte so willing to go out to sea to search for his son and missing crew. In the end two of three are still alive by the time they find them.
- The Smurfette Principle: Marie is pretty much the only important female character to be found in the story.
- Snowed-In: To the worse possible degree given they are in the arctic by the time they realize it they are iced in and it takes many hours to dig to the point where they get to soft snow.
- The Starscream: It is obvious from the outset Vasling doesn't really care that Louis might be saved and at times does multiple things to sabotage or end the search mission.
- Team Mom: Marie functions as one on the ship doing most of the female stereotyped tasks.
