Touching the Void Analysis

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Joe finds himself clinging precariously to a slope, having injured his right leg. He and Simon are high in the Andes and it is impossible to either get medical treatment to him or carry him down. In this situation, it is very likely that Simon would have to make his own way down and leave Joe to die. 2. Joe seems to be a more emotional person, using a lot of figurative language to express the sensations associated with the situation rather than giving a clinical overview. He is certainly very logical, though, and knows what his situation would mean to him. Nevertheless, he gives a very emotional response to his dilemma and appears to have a strong fear of death. Simon gives the impression of being more rational and detached, evaluating the situation and deciding that Joe would die without seeming to care. He can remain calm when there is trouble, but is a little too cold and uncaring. 3. Joe’s account is in the first person, giving it a more personal feel and allowing more detailed descriptions of his physical and emotional reactions. He uses a lot of figurative description, describing pain as a “fierce burning fire”, which conveys more of the drama of his situation than a literal account would. He also describes the thought of death as “something dark with dread”, not only conveying fear but also giving a sense of confusion. He uses many painful-sounding words such as “shattering” and “splitting”. His bones “grated”, his knee was “ruptured, twisted, crushed” and “exploded” when he tried to move it too suddenly. All this gives a detailed description of his physical sensations that allows the reader to step into his shoes for a moment. Joe’s use of repetition helps to emphasize what he repeats; he repeatedly uses “if” to convey uncertainty and later “I felt” to show confusion about overwhelming feelings. After finding out what had happened to his leg, he

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