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.