Into Thin Air Chapter 15-21 (Colonization Theory)

By Chapter 15 of Jon Krakauer's “Into Thin Air” the various climbing teams have begun their descent. There has already been tragedy in the story on the way to the summit, but far from being an afterthought, it is on the trip back down that disaster really sets in. By now we have been introduced to a diverse cast of characters, and in many cases what we know will serve to set the stage for the story of their demise. With a few exceptions however there is one group of climbers, though ever present, appears in Krakauer's recounting under a veil as though they were just another element, along with wind and ice and cold, that one encounters on the face of Everest, the native Sherpa guides.

Krakauer did careful research to, for example, weave accounts of other climbers into a coherent narrative including both the events he personally experienced and those that he wasn't there for. In nearly every instance he includes the names of all the non-native members of the various expeditions including those he did not meet himself. Except for a few individuals he was familiar with such as Lopsang Jangbu and Ang Dorje however, most of the guides are referred to anonymously as simply another Sherpa.

To be fair Krakauer is only following well worn Western conventions here, and any attempt he might make at identifying the various guides involved and exploring their personal histories as he did for the American, European and Japanese climbers would be hampered by those same conventions that throw up barriers, that encourage any particular individual to be thought of as just one of the Sherpas. Among the many criticisms he has about culture and business surrounding the desire to summit Everest Krakauer does not neglect the impact on the local community. He includes the book with a letter from a Sherpa orphan who had both parents die while guiding Everest expeditions. He quotes from this letter:

“My ancestors arrived in the Solo Khumbu region fleeing persecution in the lowlands. They found sanctuary in the shadow of “Sagarmathaji”, “mother goddess of the earth”. In return they were expected to protect that mother goddess' sanctuary from outsiders.

“But they went the other way. They helped outsiders find their way into the sanctuary and violate every limb of her body by standing on top of her, crowing in victory, and dirtying and polluting her bosom.”

(The journey is over!!!!!!)

Into Thin Air: Chapter 8-15 (Archetypal Theory)

It‘s interesting to look at the book from the perspective of Archetypal criticism because the story is not fiction, it is an account of real things that happened to real people told by someone who was a direct participant in the events. The necessity of confining himself to a true accounting of what happens means the author lacks the freedom enjoyed by novelists to craft events and outcomes to suit his purpose, or to foist upon the characters attributes that make it convenient for the reader to identify the role that they must play in the story. This does not mean the story does not contain archetypes, not by any means. The characters set out on a very well defined quest. Their goal is to climb Mount Everest, something that is an archetype unto itself, symbol frequently used for the highest possible achievement. This is the story of the individuals who set out to do this literally, and the real life meaning and consequences that came out of it.

By chapter 8 the real climb has begun and the story is one of daunting obstacles and enduring hardships. It does not take long for the realities of what they are facing to become apparent, first with the discovery of the body of a long lost climber, then with the illness and eventual death of Ngawang, one of the Sherpa guides. Along the way the members of Krakauer's team as well as other groups heading for the summit develop health issues that must be endured. There are accidents and finally one of them claims the life of a member of one of the other teams. That team's leader decision to carry on despite the loss brings the nature of the quest into focus. In stories where there is an enemy that must be vanquished, a kingdom saved or a princess rescued summoning the courage to carry on after such a loss can be seen as heroic. Here it seems more selfish and disrespectful, bringing further question to what the real meaning of the goal they all share and its relation to other values like consideration for others and of life itself.

Krakauer, himself exhausted and enduring great pain, presses on with his teammates to the summit. Reaching the peak of Mount Everest is in popular imagination the quintessential moment of triumph. For Krakauer at least it is nothing like that. There is no ceremony, no triumphal gestures, not even a pause for a few photos. Numbed by hypoxia, feeling only fear over his dwindling supply of oxygen and the dangers yet to be faced on the descent, he spends only moments on the peak other climbers might only dream of ever reaching.

Into Thin Air: Chapter 1-7 (Reader Response Theory)

Into Thin Air is adventure writer and journalist Jon  Krakauer's first hand account of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster in which twelve people died. It was at the time the deadliest climbing season ever experienced on the slopes of Everest.The book opens with Krakauer  already at the summit of Everest. This is not the triumphant scene you would expect however from someone who had just literally reached the goal that has become the universal metaphor for success. Krakauer makes it clear that he is hurting, tired, emotionless. It is clear from the outset that this is no tale of triumph. Krakauer paints a picture that is muted which leaves the reader with little doubt what this story is to be all about.

Having set the tone of the book Krakauer  then backtracks, establishing a history of the quest to reach this peak and its importance with climbers and adventurers past leading right up to the events that transpired that lead him to the climb, setting the stage for the story of his ascent, its technical aspects, the characters involved and the things that drive them, motivations that span the gamut from passion to simple greed. Here, especially, Krakauer is critical of the business practices of some of those in the Everest mountain guiding business, especially their willingness to accept large sums of money from adventurers who should instead be discouraged from going due to a lack of climbing experience in places as hazardous as Everest.

The picture Krakauer paints one of a small niche industry too willing to cater to clients he characterizes as adventurous dreamers incapable of weighing their capabilities against the real demands of climbing Everest and the hazards it presents. For example Krakauer recounts a meeting two years prior to the fatal climb with Scott Fischer, owner of Mountain Madness, in which Fischer addresses Krakauer's doubts about his own abilities to take part in an Everest climb. Fischer is dismissive of his fears, saying “Hey, experience is overrated. It’s not the altitude that’s important, it’s your attitude, bro.” (p. 70) Fischer was among the dead in the ‘96 disaster.

The commercialization of the Everest climb is a theme Krakauer  returns to repeatedly throughout the book. For example, it is revealed that just at base camp before the real climb even begins  Krakauer  himself is already at a higher altitude than he has ever climbed to in the past, yet he is far from the least experienced climber among his group.

By chapter we are into a narrative of the climb and we learn that just the journey to base camp presents challenges. Krakauer is constantly expanding our perspective by interspersing the narrative with aspects of the Everest story including descriptions of the physical environment, the effects of altitude sickness to an overview of Sherpa culture. Having reached base camp we also begin to learn about the individuals who will be going along on the climb, including Krakauer's  doubts about some of the abilities of team member's who he many need to entrust his very life with. By the time we reach the end of chapter seven the real climb is ready to begin. Krakauer has laid out the grounds for what we already know is about to come.

The English Obsession

Why does it seem colleges and universities are paying so much attention to basic literacy skills these days? Shouldn't students already have these skills by the time they leave high school? Probably, but over the years these schools are finding they can't assume that their students have the proper skills in this area. Over the years these schools have been finding they have to offer courses in basic English to give students skills they should already have attained before arriving. In many cases these courses are mandatory because they have found so many students lacking in this area.
This isn't just universities becoming more demanding. Student writing skills are in decline and the numbers show it. According to advancedwriters.com "Annual reports from the National Center for Education Statistics show that the SAT mean scores in writing have dropped from 497 to 484 in 9 years (2006 – 2015)"¹.

Why is this so important? After all not everyone that is going to college or university are going to study English or going into a language field? The fact is that it's important for everyone to communicate no matter what field they are in. Someone who's going into engineering or technology need to be able to convey their ideas in a way that others will understand, just as much as someone going into journalism or creative writing. It should not fall on these institutions of higher education whose job it is to prepare their students to work in these fields to have the additional burden of ensuring they have basic communication skills they should have learned before the arrived.

It has become normal for colleges and universities to test students when they arrive to see if they have the literacy skills they will need to cope with an education at that level. In some cases students who don't pass these tests have to take courses to bring them up to an acceptable level. Some schools have even found so many students lack these skills it's easier to make it mandatory for all of their students to have to take a basic English course no matter what field they plan to study.

If colleges and universities have to do this with students when they arrive though, why can't high schools make sure they have done their job by testing and requiring students to have these skills before they leave? By doing this students going on to college and university would be able to focus on the things they went there to learn instead of catching up with things they should have learned back in high school.

For this reason I believe that grade 12 University level English should be a requirement for entry into all university programs no matter what field they are going into. In fact even students who aren't going on to university could benefit. The ability to communicate, especially in writing, is one that everyone needs if they hope to participate in the work force.




1. https://www.advancedwriters.com/blog/the-decline-of-students-writing-skills-causes-and-outcomes/

 http://www.elc-eastbourne.co.uk/blog/4-reasons-why-learning-english-is-so-important/

http://classroom.synonym.com/important-skills-12th-grade-english-2173.html

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