Into Thin Air
Reading Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer, was an experience that made the reader feel as if he or she was actually climbing on Mount Everest in the Himalayan Mountains with Krakauer himself. He brought the reader into the story by making the reader feel like an extension of the adventure. One way Krakauer made this possible was through his characters and how he described them. Whether it was the rich exploratory westerners or the humble local Sherpas, Krakauer conveyed these characters with as much truth and conviction as he felt necessary. The first character of interest was Rob Hall. Krakauer's depiction of Hall was, "he stood six foot three or four and was skinny as a pole. There was something cherubic about his face, yet he looked older than his thirty-five years-perhaps it was the sharply etched creases at the corners of his eyes, or the air of authority he projected" (38). From that description alone one can gain an understanding of Hall. Hall is a well-respected man who is nearly a legend in his sport. Krakauer himself felt a connection to him; both men shared a passion for climbing. Krakauer later went on to describe Hall's life growing up in a catholic family. After Hall dropped out of school, he worked for a
Woodall, the leader, turned out to be a complete asshole. A total control freak. And you couldn't trust him-we never knew if he was talking bullshit or telling the truth. We didn't want to put our lives in the hands of a guy like that. So we left (125). company" (39). It seems as though Hall was almost destined to become a leader, which appeals to a reader who likes to see others succeed. Hall's demise was partly his fault, but he was not supposed to go out like that; frozen to death and left to die. Furthermore, these comments from de Klerk suggest that Woodall was a not a well liked person on the Tibetan Jomolungma. But Woodall was just getting started. Later when the Adventure Consultants were in dire need of a radio, David Breashears, IMAX leader, declared, "'We knew the South African had a powerful radio...please lend your radio to Jon Krakauer.' And Woodall said no. It was very clear what was at stake, but they wouldn't give up their radio" (285). Woodall seemed to be quite selfish and made a lot of climber's tempers flare even though he knew the storm had begun to climax and take lives in the process. Woodall, through all the hatred surrounding him, managed to climb to the summit and re
Some common words found in the essay are:
Hall Hall, Beck Weathers, Krakauer' Woodall, Woodall Woodall, Hall Krakauer's, South African, Nevertheless Beck, Mountains Krakauer, Base Camp, Camp Beck, beck weathers, reader feel, south african, left die,
Approximate Word count = 819
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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