Honors BLog 2/10/09

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin develop the theme of large obstacles becoming very little in the name of a greater cause, through Setting, Narrative, and Persona.

For many points in the book, Mortenson and Relin are describing their location, in order to help the reader gain a sense of the setting, and what it was like to look at things through their eyes. This isn't so much describing any formulatic part of their surroundings, but rather, the parts that they noticed, that were specifically important to them. One of many examples of this is on page 194, when he says "The school was buffed to perfection. Dozens of new wooden desks sat in each classroom, on carpets thick enough to sheild studens' feet from the cold. Colorful world maps and portraits of Pakistan's leaders decorated the walls." This helps the theme by giving the reader a sense of what the main characters were experiencing, and from there, they could proceed to understand the mindset of not caring too much about any scary situation they may have been in.

David Oliver Relin is the narrator of the whole story, and it is all told from his point of view. His goal in his writing is to cover the actions and words of Greg Mortenson through his journey, but it's all a secondhand account of these events. As an example of this, I could take any sentence from any page of the book, because the entire book is from Relin's perspective. As an example; "It was 2:00 A.M. Mortenson had only slept for two hours, and as he struggled to understand what was happening to him, being deprived of the sleep he so badly needed bothered him more than the eight unfamiliar men pointing weapons at him and pulling him up by the arms." This develops the theme by (as an addition to setting) giving a specific point of view from which to look at the events that unfolded. The story itself, which is told through the narrative, is the focal point of the theme, and is really what portrays the idea of overcoming large obstacles.

Another literary element used is persona. As an addition to narrative, which is who tells the story, persona mainly entails the writing attributes of the person telling the story. This is perhaps the most important literary element, because while the events themselves help to portray the theme, the mundane way in which many major events (such as the previous example) are written is what really enforces this idea that not only are large obstacles to be overcome in the name of a greater cause, but they are to be overcome in a really lackadaisical sort of way. Throughout the entire book, there is an account of all the events, no matter how important or unimportant, all told in a really abrupt, dry, and blase way. This means that there isn't an abundance of detail, which makes it easier to read, and it also adds a level of humor to the book, on top of really portraying that these events aren't meant to have a big deal made out of them (even if they are a big deal). This is shown right from the beginning of the book, when, on page 2, Relin writes: "The red light that had worried me before began to flash faster. The bobbing needle on the gauge showed that we had less than one hundred liters of fuel... Just as the needle hit E and the red warning light began to beep, Bhangoo settled the skids at the center of large H..."