"Into thin air" Archetypal literary theory/ Section #2

     looking at "Into Thin Air" through an archetypal literary theory, I've realised that the archetypes for section 2 (from chapter 8 to 15) of this novel are the Journey, the mountain and the ice/snow. Although the Journey happens to be very generalised and an actually journey rather then an archetypal journey, there are still some archetypal meaning within the journey that Krakauer takes as he attempts the summit of mount. Everest.

Throughout this section "the Journey" becomes clear for Krakauer. Having to suffer through the physical and mental effort that climbing to such heights demands, he seems to have a clear conscious mind despite the physical and mental condition he's in. Most of his journey is filled with having to witness his inexperienced and experienced team members suffer a lot more then him, with medical conditions from their past now affecting them due to the cold or caused by the high altitude; and having to get news of members dying while climbing. He does reach the summit of mount.Everest before the major storm/blizzard, that got one team lost and kills three members, but his physical conditions doesn't allow for him to enjoy his accomplishment for too long and he's forced to descend only after a few minute of reaching the top. The archetypal meaning of the journey is how the "hero"(main character) changes throughout it. Krakauer goes from wanting to accomplish the summit of mount.Everest to regretting most of all decision he has made. An example of his regrets is when he notices one of his teammate's Weathers who was injured and was waiting for a guide to help him down the mountain, but Weathers dies in the blizzard.

the mountain is an obvious archetypal symbol throughout this novel but its more clear in this section of its meaning. Krakauer and most other climbers are being propelled up the highest mountain in the world solely by their ambition, and it showed when Krakauer reached the summit, he describes his state as slowly dying from lack of oxygen, in other words he was too tired to care of his accomplishment or even acknowledge it.

At last we have the ice/snow, which had a stronger meaning in this section of harshness and death. It was the weather that kept delaying climbers and at the end it was a blizzard that killed climbers.

All together, these Archetypal symbols combine to create a strong meaning and summary of how the journey of the summit of Everest was an emotional and physical beating for Krakauer and will always be for the future climbers of the tallest mountain in the world.