Chapter 5 Disaster

When Joe shatters his knee joint it is one of the most climactic parts of the text. Language features and writing style techniques are used in this specific piece of text to build up the tension to the climax, This draws the reader in engaging them to the book. One of the main language features used in this part of the text is emotive language. Emotive language is used in this part of the text to have an emotional effect on the reader by relating it to past experiences that the reader has had. This causes tension to build in the text. An example of emotive words used in this specific piece of text would be words like “pain, fierce burning flame, gasping.” these words also show how the character is feeling and what is happening inside his/her body. Another language feature the author used to draw the reader into the book and to build up the tension is foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is where the author gives away small hints in the text leading up to the problem. In this case Joe states in the book a few pages before the accident that “I knew it was going to be a good day.” This is foreshadowing for me because the reader now thinks that the characters are going to have a good day it makes the tension build even more as the reader starts to realise that today is not going to be a good day for the characters it comes as a surprise so the tension is built faster and to a higher level. Another piece of foreshadowing in the text is when the two characters joe and simon go through there morning ritual and discover that they have run out of gas “the gas was all used up in the breakfast routine.” This quote is also foreshadowing for me because it shows that the two climbers have run out of their resources meaning that if they get into trouble their situation will be serious because they have no means of making water.

The purpose of having simons perspective in this part of the text was to justify the reasons why he did what he did and to also give the readers another point of view in the text to agree/ disagree with. As this disaster plays out, Joe and simons relationship deteriorates to the relationship of every man for themselves every man for himself, this is shown by the quote” I couldn’t help him, and it occurred to me that he would fall to his death.” and also the quote “In a way I hoped he would fall.” these quotes show how joe was slowing down simon, meaning that simons chances of survival were dropping as he was with joe. It also shows that simon is aware of this and how he in a way would like to leave simon to ensure his survival. Foreshadowing also played a massive part in this text in predicting what simon may do in difficult situation

One Reply to “Chapter 5 Disaster”

  1. Some intriguing ideas here, Jack. Well done for making connections between sections of the text, the techniques used and the effect/s created.
    * Ensure that you are specific to the effects created: “these words also show how the character is feeling and what is happening inside his/her body.” Have you been specific here? 🙂

    You could also consider what characters’ thoughts or actions show the reader about human nature.

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