Scene 3 Summary

This scene is set in the stoke hole, or engine room. The sailors from the first scene shovel coal into the engines in a distinct, even rhythm. The room is furiously noisy, with the clanging of steel doors, crunching coal and the roar of flames.

Paddy complains about the length of the shift, and that his back is breaking. Yank chews him out for being lazy. The chief engineer (whom we never see) blows his whistle, a signal for the men to hurry up. The shoveling rhythm of the men intensifies as they work even harder. Yank sets up a kind of chant to keep the rhythm going. When Paddy complains again, the sailors – carried away by the energy of their rhythm – shout him down.

At the height of the action, the Second and Fourth Engineers come in with Mildred. Most of the...