Questions in Class 1

Was it a good decision for Stanley to explore with men who had no experience as travelers? Why or why not?
Stanley's decision to explore without experienced companions was not a very wise idea, but he knew exactly what he was doing. "Out of the twelve hundred men who applied to join the expedition, some of them highly experienced travelers, he chose three unsuitable companions: a pair of sailor-fishermen, the brothers Drank and Eward Pocock, and a young hotel clerk named Frederick Barker"(Hochschild 49). "None of three had had any experience exploring" (49). "Stanley was always uncomfortable with anyone whose talents might outshine his own" and that is why he chose people that would have no chance of making him look bad or doing/finding something significant on their own. He planned it out so that he would be the star and that people wouldn't even remember the names of the other men. Stanley was practically exploring alone. If something would have went wrong, he would have had only himself to rely on. A hotel clerk, a bugle player... he didn't go out with a group schooled in the ways of the exploration. It was not a good idea at all, but he knew of the risk that came with taking incompetent companions on a trip where nothing was unexpected.