Similarities Between Wehenmayer And John Krakauer

Mountains Life changing journeys are not the easiest to come by. Both John Krakauer and Erik Weihenmayer achieved such feats by overcoming mental and emotional boundaries. Determined to reach their goals, they defied not only their personal expectations, but they also defied the expectations of others. Krakauer was trying to change his life for the better, and Weihenmayer, being blind, wanted to accomplish the impossible.These men climbed and conquered massive mountains in their lives both physically and mentally. Although the accomplishments of Krakauer and Weihenmayer are similar, the execution and documentation of their achievements differ greatly. In “The Devil’s Thumb” the author, John Krakauer, is alone and isolated from other people

Unlike Krakauer, he traveled with a group. Although Weihenmayer traveled with a group, he had a distinct difference that the rest of his group lacked; he was blind. This gave him a totally different perspective of the climb and it gave him different challenges from everyone else. “The consistent terrain, the altitude, the mask, and the darkness were great equalizers.” Even though his experience was completely different, he never had the feeling of being truly alone. Ultimately, His group was very supportive, and he was constantly looking for ways to equalize the playing field and reach his seemingly unthinkable

Krakauer conveys this by using chronological organization and flashbacks. “…the mountain had been lurking in the recesses of my mind for about fifteen years…the occasion was my eighth birthday…” He acknowledges both the present and the past by switching perspectives as the story progresses. Backing up his current events with those of the past gives the reader a significantly better understanding of where Krakauer is coming from. Because of the structure, the story comes across as easier to understand. Similarly, “Everest” is also organized chronologically. Differing from “The Devil’s thumb”, “Everest” is only organized chronologically, and it lacks the flashbacks that are in “The Devils Thumb.” “Finally, when I needed it most, the mountain had given me a pattern.” “Everest” follows the progression of their journey and climb. Neither the order nor the time of the events see any significant change. The structure of the story allows for it to be clear and