"I'm not going to get killed," I answered. "Don't be melodramatic." (88)
This sentence is the respond Jon Krakauer gave to his wife on the concern of him getting killed. It shows the confidence of Jon as an experienced climber. But given the result of the climb at the beginning chapters of the book, this sentence seems scary and arrogant. Although Jon did survive as he said to his wife, he was not far away from being dead on the mountains like six other were on the same climb. At this point of his adventure, all he could see were opportunities and excitement but underestimated the danger of Everest. The author ends an entire chapter with this sentence, leaving the reader totally shocked as in how little the author knew about Everest before the trip.The respond also shows his determination to climb. When he was at the airport having this conversation, he didn't at all consider what his death would have brought to his family, but instead, all he had in his mind was to climb the mountain.
Most of the people who live in this rugged country seem to have no desire to be severed from the modern world or the untidy flow of human progress. The last thing Sherpas want is to be preserved as specimens in an anthropological museum. (48)
The observation of a Sherpa speaking perfect English started the author's explanation of how foreigners have changed the Sherpas' lives. With an annual income per capita of 160$, a hired guide by foreign expeditions can earn up to 2500$ in just three months. The money earned by the Sherpas not only benefited themselves but also the community as a whole. Schools, hospitals and all kinds of other facilities were built to benefit the locals as well as the climbers. But the author is definitely not in a total positive mood about this change, his disappointment is shown by his observation of the local population, "Teens hanging out in Namche carrom parlors are more likely to be wearing jeans and Chicago Bulls T-shirts than quaint traditional robes." (48). Thus he expresses his concern on the loss of the local culture by the last sentence, "The last thing Sherpas want is to be preserved as specimens in an anthropological museum."
This sentence shows an internal conflict within the author himself as he doesn't know whether to be happy or sad for the Sherpas.
This sentence shows an internal conflict within the author himself as he doesn't know whether to be happy or sad for the Sherpas.
Hall, Harris and Litch were in complete agreement that sooner or later a major disaster involving a large number of clients was "inevitable" But, said Litch--- who had climbed Everest from Tibet the previous spring--- "Rob's feeling was that it wouldn't be him." (53)
This is a foreshadowing of the disaster. The foreshadowing is so obvious that both guides felt wrong at this point. It is also ironic that Rob and Andy were confident enough to think it was not going to be themselves, but their team was eventually the one which needed help. Several other teams had to postpone their summit ascent to rescue them, they lost their lives despite the effort.
A moment later came an explosive roar as a large serac somewhere close above came crashing down. I froze, my heart in my throat, but the avalanching ice passed fifty yards to the left, out of sight, without doing any damage. (83)
This happened on the first acclimatization trip Jon took to camp one when he was on a ladder across a crevice. Although the serac only missed him by 50 yards, all he did afterwards was just waiting a few minutes and continued. Nobody around him had any reaction. Dangerous accidents happened too often that people on the mountains got used to them. This blindness against danger presented here would continue to affect the team and eventually costed people's lives.
Other Quotes: pages 111 153 82 185