One literary device the author used very well would be imagery. Jon Krakauer has tendency to describe things with a lot of good, imaginable details. He uses imagery to help you to better understand the setting of the book at that certain period of time and his use of imagery, in my opinion, is a great help. The imagery also helps you to understand his current state of mind and body while he is on top of the mountain, a place where not many people have been. For example:
#1-"In mid afternoon we reached a bizarre procession of free standing ice pinnacles, the largest nearly 100 feet high, known as Phantom Alley. Sculpted by the intense solar ray, plowing a radioactive shade of turquoise, the towers reared like giant shark's teeth out of the surrounding rubble as far as they eye could see...A couple miles farther, the glacier made a sharp turn to the east,we plodded to the crest of along slope , and spread before us was a motley city of nylon domes. More than three hundred tents, housing many climbers and Sherpas from fourteen expeditions, speckled the boulder-strewn ice..."Chapter 5, page 63
#2-"Our mess tent , a cavernous canvas structure , was furnished with an enormous stone table, a stereo system, a library, and solar-powered electric lights; an adjacent communications test housed a satellite phone and fax. A shower had been improvised from a rubber hose and a bucket filled with water heated by the kitchen staff..."Chapter 5, page 64
#3-"Despite the many trappings of civilization at Base Camp, there was no forgetting that we were more than three miles above sea level Walking to the mess tent at mealtime left me wheezing for several minutes. If I sat up too quickly, my head reeled and vertigo set in...Sleep became elusive, a common symptom of minor altitude illness...Cuts and scraps refuse to heal. My appetite vanished and my digestive system...failed to make much use of what I forced myself to eat..." Chapter 5, page 72
I would use imagery with my writing in probably the same way that the author did in his. To describe the way I or my characters would be feeling in different circumstances and the places that I or my characters would be in at certain time. I would use imagery to help the readers to better understand and love the book or piece of writing that I do.
I noticed that you mentioned the imagery he uses to describe the places he was in. The examples you used to show that imagery were really good ones. My favorite is #1. You really found a really good one that is a prime example of where and how he used imagery. Your conclusion about you're going to use imagery really made me want to use imagery well also. That was really inspiring.
ReplyDeleteWhen you talk about how you are going to us imagery to so the readers understanding is there any specific details or writing tools you would really out emphasis on. You are slightly vague on the details i was just curious more on your insight.This was a wonderful entree if i might add.
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite quotes out of the ones you picked would have to be the first and second one, considering that the entire quote is of the author describing his surroundings with so much detail that I'm actually picturing what the author is saying right as I'm reading it. I do agree with the fact that imagery would be good to add to a future memoir, as it could give a reader a different view point from their own to see from.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this is not the book that I am reading for class, the imagery is making me reconsider my choice. Krakauer's word choice is beautiful and creates a very vivid image. I especially like the second quote you chose because I feel like I am there with the author, inside of the tent. In addition, I agree that imagery would be good to describe a character. As we learned in class, description can be used indirectly to tell the reader about a character's personality. I would have liked if you had added a quote where the author had described someone else's character, rather than just his own. However, I think that I will use imagery in my memoir as well.
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