25th February 2018 —

The Role of the Author and Initial Characterisation

  1. I think the quote regarding “The dreamers of the day” is about making dreams happen rather than sitting there dreaming about it.  This can be shown when the quote talks about acting dreams with open eyes to make them possible. My personal interpretation is that the quote has an important message for those who read it: Follow where your dreams take you, believe that they can become a reality and keep the goal in sight. Then you will be a step closer to making your dreams attainable.
  2. The initial impression I got of Joe Simpson was that he was an optimistic person but also strong-willed with a sense of adventure. He seemed to be enjoying where he was and happy that he was away from any crowds of people. I also had the idea that he was a well-established person and that he was an experienced mountaineer through the stories he mentions about meeting his climbing companions.
  3. When Joe talks about Simon the reader can get the impression that the two of them have a strong friendship with each other. The lines that Joe used to describe Simon can give the reader an idea that the two of them have known each other for a long time. This is shown through the numerous stories that Joe mentions of the two of them. It also appears that Joe not only looks up to Simon but also views him as a role-model. This is presented at the beginning of the book when Joe is describing Simon: “He was an easy friend: dependable, sincere, ready to see life as a joke …a touch of madness that makes just a few people so special.” The quote is able to show to the reader that Joe strongly admires Simon’s attitude on how to live life and is one reason as to why Joe looks up to Simon.
  4. The lines Joe uses to describe Richard makes it seem that Joe and Simon view him as adventurous person but also somewhat crazy at the same time. This is shown when Joe talks about one of Richard’s expeditions: “ He had Lived off grubs and berries with pygmies while dug-out canoeing through the rain forests of Zaire. The lines illustrate the numerous travels that Richard has been on from the perspective of Joe. When he talks about Richard’s traveling companion being shot dead, it can also give the reader an idea that Richard hasn’t had it all his way and has had to persevere through hardships. It can also show that Richard is a tough person through the eyes of Joe.
  5. If something in their climb goes wrong, Joe and his companions would struggle to get help. This is because they are a long way from the nearest town which Joe said was twenty-eight miles of walking to get there. If one of the three of them were to get injured on the mountain, one of them may have to try and get down the mountain on their own to find help, putting themselves at risk by putting their own life on the line. If one of the climbers were to injure themselves, there are different and alternative possibilities on how the group may act. It is unlikely that one of them would put their own life in such a level of jeopardy by going down the mountain to go and find help. It can be expected that this would be a last resort for the climbers. There are alternative ways of how the group might act that is more foreseeable to be the reality of the situation. They may choose to help the injured person, leave them behind, or the person with the injury could decide to keep on going. The way on how the group may act depends on how severe the potential injury would be and also considering the condition of the rest of the group. The condition of the rest of the group greatly influences their decisions as they could make rash decisions under tiredness, fatigue or exposure to the cold that could worsen the situation and lead to more issues later on.
  6. Joe talks about speaking to himself when confronted with difficulties. It helps the men mentally when they are mountaineering by keeping a positive mindset as they can then believe that what they are doing is possible. It is important for them to keep a positive outlook when they are climbing because as soon as they give up in their heads, they will lose focus. This would lead to them struggling to make it up the mountain because the men would have taken their mind off the overall goal by thinking it wouldn’t be possible.