Stuck Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Question 1

“I come to another drop off”.
“Narrows down to a consistent 3 feet across”.

Answer 1

• The use of 1st person narrative makes the passage seem autobiographical, creating a feeling of intimacy with the reader.
• The use of present tense creates a feeling of immediacy, tension, excitement and apprehension because we don’t know what will happen yet; it is happening now.
• The use of technical language presents the writer as an expert to the reader, creating the feeling that he is an experienced climber with a lot of knowledge.
• The repetition of language referring to confined spaces, such as “narrows down”, “claustrophobic”, “slots”, highlights to the reader how small and narrow the tunnel is. This is layered with more references to the narrowing of the tunnel. The repetition emphasises this to the reader and creates a worrying sense of entrapment.

Question 2

“Sometimes in narrow passages like this one”.
“You can imagine using it to climb up the inside of a chimney”.
“If I can step on to it then I’ll have a non-foot height to descend”.

Answer 2

• Second paragraph moves away from the subject of the first to explain more technical details, again emphasising the writers technical expertise and making the later accident seem unavoidable.
• The use of 2nd person and direct address, through the possessive pronoun ‘you’, directly involves the reader in the experience, drawing out a strong sense of empathy as the reader is able to understand the situation more accurately.
• Moving into future tense gives the reader the impression that the writer is trying to figure out what to do next. It draws the reader into the decision making process and creates a sense of great tension, making the reader feel like they are experiencing the accident with him.

Question 3

“Instantly, I know this is trouble, and instinctively I let go”.
“The next three seconds… time dilates, as if I am dreaming, and my reactions decelerate”.
“Ensnares my right arm… flaring agony”.

Answer 3

• The use of alliteration emphasises the words instantly and instinctively, drawing in the readers attention to the writers reaction. The adverb choice indicates the speed of the writers reaction, putting the reader in the writers position, adding to the feeling of tension.
• The repeated references to the writers handling of time are used to show how the accident feels for the writer. The simile ‘as if I am dreaming’ compares it to something unreal, a feeling the reader can understand and emphasise with. The three clauses in the sentence get sequentially longer; 3 syllables (time dilates), 6 syllables (as if I am dreaming), and then 9 syllables (and my reactions decelerate), mirroring the way time feels to the writer, as if it is lengthening.
• The use of personification compares the rock holding the writers arm to an animal caught in a trap or snare, making the rock seem active and aggressive creating a drama between the writer and the stone - his enemy. The metaphor ‘ensnares’ creates a feeling of entrapment, enabling the reader to more fully understand the writers emotions at this time.
• The use of the metaphor compares the sudden pain of the accident to something which immediately flares up and explodes, creating a sense of violent imagery and horrifyingly communicating how the writer felt to the reader, drawing out a sense of sympathy.