Between a rock and a Hard Place Flashcards
Title ‘Between a rock and a hard place’
The title uses an idiom (an expression with a different meaning to its literal meaning).
It means to be faced with difficult decisions and to have no easy way out of something.
Title foreshadows that Ralston will find himself in a predicament with no easy way out.
Context information: ‘ First hand account’
A personal account of what happened. ‘It’s from the horse’s mouth’. - accurate, believable
Paragraph 1: ‘I come to another drop off.
Short opening sentence creates a detached tone. Ralston is in no way alarmed.
The adjective ‘another’ shows his casual attitude to heights and danger.
His casual tone possibly juxtaposes the reader’s fear or alarm at a high and dangerous place.
Paragraph 1: ‘eleven or twelve feet high’ AND ‘a foot higher’ AND ‘different geometry’
Mathematical language-helps the reader to create a visual image of the height of the canyon.
Indicates what kind of climber Ralston is. He is measured and careful and experienced. He doesn’t get into trouble because he is reckless or unskilled, just unlucky.
Paragraph 1: ‘refrigerator chockstone’ AND ‘stemming and chimneying’ (paragraph 2)
Use of expert language shows that Ralston is calm and in control on his climb-he knows what he is doing and is experienced.
Paragraph 1: ‘ten feet’, ‘claustrophobic’, ‘three feet’, ‘fifty feet’.
The repetition of measurements and also the adjective ‘claustrophobic’ creates suspense for the reader.
Collectively, these words and phrases make a semantic field of danger. Even though Ralston is confident, there is a hint that something could easily go wrong.
Paragraph 2: ‘It’s possible’ AND ‘I can’
These phrases show Ralston’s positive assured tone. He is in control and confident.
Paragraph 3: ‘If I can step on to it’.
This dependent clause shows his rational thought processes. He is weighing everything up, again, in control at this point.
Paragraph 3: ‘dangle’.
The verb dangle juxtaposes Ralston’s feeling of being in control.
This verb has connotations of danger. If you’re dangling, you’re vulnerable and at risk in some way.
This foreshadows the precarious situation he will soon find himself in.
Paragraph 4: ‘I traverse’, ‘I press’, ‘I kick’, ‘I lower’, ‘I squat’, ‘I can’.
Repetition of the active voice.
Subject is followed by action. Subject does something to something else.
Ralston is the subject, he’s in control, he’s the one doing the action.
At the moment, he is the master of the situation. He’s in charge of his choices and calling the shots.
Paragraph 5: ‘As I dangle’
Repetition of the vulnerable verb dangle
Suggesting that danger is getting closer for Ralston.
Paragraph 5: ‘Instantly’
Structurally, this is the volta (the turning point) where we move from his controlled confidence into danger and panic.
Time expression – connotes shock and speed to show how quickly things changed.
Paragraph 5: ‘Instinctively’
This adverb juxtaposes Ralston’s previous control.
He can no longer plan his moves carefully like before, he is just reactive and acting out of panicked instinct.
Paragraph 5: ‘backlit chockstone falling toward my head consumes the sky’.
Ralston’s personification gives an image of the stone eating the sky.
It’s a powerful image of the mountain stealing the control and Ralston is now under its power.
Paragraph 5: ‘Fear shoots my hands over my head’.
Shift from active voice, to passive voice.
Fear is now the subject(the one doing the action) not Ralston. It makes it seem like fear is controlling him now and he is helpless.
