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Grace Johnston

Ms. S. Belcamino

ENG4UE1

17/01/23

Portfolio Essay

This non-fiction book, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, was written to provide a better

understanding of the murderous catastrophe that happened in 1997 on Mount Everest. Into Thin

Air examines risk and responsibility through our main character's greatest risk, as well as that of

other characters.

While it is true that the story does not follow a chronological order, which ultimately

confuses the reader and makes it more difficult to follow along, the story is still able to carry on

with a story about a group of people who were on an expedition to Mount Everest and why they

were heading there. People embark on a journey to the top of Mount Everest to embark on the

adventure of a lifetime. It is very clear that the story gives the reader a feeling of worry. It also

provides the reader with the opportunity to feel fear for the characters in the story and empathize

with them when they are in danger. In spite of terrible weather conditions, they had to endure

conditions that would make any human scream if they were in their position. My intention here

is not to be positive, but rather to be negative in my statements.

They lose their ability to breathe whenever they are in a dangerous situation, which is a

huge challenge in such cases. The oxygen level in their bodies was too low, and in order to keep

them alive, they needed oxygen in order to pump their blood. There was a period of
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approximately 3 days during which Krakauer was without sleep, which is a long time without

being able to sleep. It is absolutely necessary for your body to get enough energy in order to

survive, and that energy cannot be replenished by your body on its own.

It was all of the individuals who participated in the expedition who were motivated to

take part in such a high-risk expedition. As a result of this, there are long-term effects, including

the inability to respond or even death, and long-term damage to the body. Taking risks is what

they do. Despite the fact that they could probably avoid it altogether if they were responsible

individuals, despite the fact that it would be easier for them to do so.

Overall, this is an irresponsible act. It is a well-known fact that many precious lives are

tragically lost as a result of undertaking part in this expedition in the first place. From my point

of view, if families have a great deal of loss as a result of this process, I believe that it is unfair

for them to be forced through this. It is so critical to take risks and to be responsible in the world

we live in today. This world looks for logical solutions, and taking risks is not considered a

positive thing. All this information ties into the reader response theory. As a reader, I feel as if

this book was heartbreaking with all the death that came out of it.