between a rock and a hard place

form

memoir

audience

climbing/extreme sport enthusiasts

health professionals

purpose

inform of dangers

reflection for author

hope for desperate situations

ideas

exploration

danger + survival

desperation + hope - situation never completely hopeless

perspectives

ONE SIDED - climber only - one man story emph isolation

lines 1-30 annotations (5)

I come to another drop-off.	short sentence opener	start right in the action
eleven or twelve feet	mathematical language	calculated - experienced
hands, feet and back	triad	precision difficulty
I traverse I press I kick I lower I squat	prounoun action verbs	alone precision difficulty tension
it supports me but teeters slightly		foreshadow

lines 31-41 annotations (4)

tenth of their normal speed Time dilates slow motion	temporal refs	tension shock/disbelief helplessness
smashes ricochets ensnares	rock personified violent verbs	true danger of this inanimate object to him
palm in, thumb up, fingers extended	triad	unexpected - random position of hands at the time
Then silence.	minor sentence	release of tension shock + helplessness

lines 42-50 annotations (4)

disbelief paralyzes me agony throws me anxiety has my brain tweaking	personification of negative abstract nouns	lack of control even his emotions have more control over him than he himself does
Good God, my hand.	idiomatic/colloquial ref to religion	no words to describe such an extreme situation further lack of control
grimace and growl…	alliteration ellipsis	desperation
adrenaline-stoked mom lifts an overturned car to free her baby	maternal reference contrast	alone + wanting help stories/myths vs reality

lines 51-56 annotations (2)

twelve-inch	mathematical ref	relate to start contrast complete control over lack thereof
Nothing.	minor sentence	realisation completely trapped