127 hours: between a rock and a hard place

text type

text type

first hand recount

themes and emotions

• immaturity vs maturity

• social responsibility

• hopelessness

• ego

• overconfidence

• panic

• anxious

beginning

hes confident because he is at another drop off and is self assured and is enjoyuing the challange This extract,taken from the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, is an autobiographical account by American mountain climber Aron Ralston of his experience of being trapped in a canyon while hiking in the Utah desertin the USA

middle

The account opens in the middle of Ralston’s hike as he attempts to traverse over drop-offs in the canyon. He describes a technique called stemming, which allows climbers to descend into narrow passages, using itto reach a chockstone which is stuck in the channel between the walls. He decides thatif he gets down to the chockstone, he can then drop from the stone to the canyon floor. he then begins to have a picked tone and he realises he is now in trouble

end

ralston is now shocked and is anxious about what has happened .The extract ends in a cliffhanger after a failed attempt at freeing himself.

language

• He uses mathematical and expert terminology as it gives the reader a clear vision of his environment and how he is. It tells us that he’s very conscious of his surroundings.

• The word “claustrophobic” builds suspense and makes the reader feel quite nervous about the situation however Ralston isn’t apprehensive in any way.

•  “Controlling the counterpressure”- alliteration, quite a factual paragraph. It is descriptive.

•  “Dangle off”- builds suspense

•  “Stemming across the canyon at the lip of the drop-off” - it is a nice description

•  “I traverse”, “I press”, “I kick”, “I lower”-he uses an active voice

•  He repeats the word “dangle”- creates a sense of vulnerability

•  “Instantly”- temporal expression

• “Instinctively”- he isn’t in control anymore (is more reactive)

•  “Time dilates”- he is in shock,

•  Use of listing creates an idea that everything happens quickly. “Rock smashes”, “crushes”, “ensnares”, “tearing”- harsh verbs to emphasise the pain that he will go through.

•  “I stare”- language choice- he is in shock.

•  “Good God”, “Grimace and Growl”- alliteration and the sound that he’d probably make in pain

•  “Anxiety has my brain tweaking”- passive voice.

•  “Adrenaline-stoked mom lifts an overturned car to free her baby”- clinging onto a fictitious story- shows his desperation

structure

• The anthology is structured well. Each paragraph serves its own purpose.

•  “I come to another drop-off”- detached tone. There is no sense of emotion as he uses the word “another” which proves that he’s done this before.

• He uses an active voice and then:

•  “Fear shoots my hands over my hands”- passive voice- he isn’t in control (fear is). Sudden changes in the structure highlight fear and panic.

•  Goes back to the active voice when he tries to free himself “I brace my thighs”.

•  “Then, silence.”, “But I’m stuck”, “Nothing.” The short sentence creates suspense.