The tone of the final third of "Into Thin Air" took on a much more somber and reflective feeling. especially the final chapters when the author is reflecting on the enormity of what he had just experienced. And it seems entirely justified as well, anyone that had to go through the same thing that Krakauer or any of the other climbers that survived went through would most have to deal with substantial amounts of grief and sorrow, and is possibly forms of PTSD. "With so many marginally qualified climbers flocking to Everest, a lot of people thought a tragedy of this magnitude was overdue. but nobody imagined that an expedition lead by Rob Hall would be the center of it. Hall ran the tightest, safest operation of the mountain, bar none. A compulsive, methodical man, he had elaborate systems in place that were supposed to prevent such a catastrophe. So what happened? How can it be explained. not only to the loved ones left behind, but to a censorious public? Hubris probably had something to do with it. Hall had become so adept at running climbers up and down Everest that he got a little cocky, perhaps." (p. 284) This quote shows how Krakauer began to really reflect on what had happened to him on the mountain, especially when he had to write about it for his magazine article.
Over all I enjoyed reading "Into Thin Air", It was slow to start but once all of the set up was out of the way then Krakauer does an excellent job of portraying what it was like to be on the mountain, wondering if you will make it down alive.
I completely agree that the end of the book is extremely somber and reflective. Jon can not do anything but miss the people he lost on the mountain, and reflect on who they were and what they did. "As I turned my head to the side, my ear brushed against a we sot; tears, I realized, were running down my face and soaking the sheets. I felt a gurgling, swelling bubble of hurt and shame roll up my spine from somewhere deep inside. Erupting out of my nose and mouth in a flood of snot, the first sob was followed by another, then another and another." (281) This shows how much Jon misses everyone left behind. He is constantly reflecting on what happened.
ReplyDeleteYou're right; at first I thought the ending was just an all-out load of dreariness, but it's a lot more reflective and wistful than I first gave it credit for. The quote that sums this up in my mind is "Mortality had remained a conveniently hypothetical concept, an idea to ponder in the abstract. Sooner of later the divestiture of such a privileged innocence was inevitable, but when it finally happened the shock was magnified by the sheer superfluity of the carnage." I can't imagine what it must be like to think back to a time when you almost died, but it must be like trying to remember a really vivid nightmare. He can't get it out of his head.
ReplyDeleteI entirely agree with your evaluation of the last 3rd. Krakauer got very emotional in the final chapters, reflecting on what just happened. He had seen so many people he knew so well, in great pain fighting for their lives. He said that it was the most traumatizing thing any of them had ever gone through. I like how you brought up PTSD, since that is probably very true in this case. Krakauer says that some of the men climbing everest were able to get over it and move on within a couple of months and others, like himself were not. Perhaps writing the novel was Krakauer's way of coping with the depression. Once Krakauer new he was in safety, he let it all go. All the tension and stress went out the window and he just bawled. "The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the ice with my face in my hands and tears streaking down my cheeks, weeping like I hadn't wept since I was a small boy" (280). This just shows how life changing the whole experience was. It was truly a somber ending.
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