One Wrong Step

“I stared up at the mountains, and every beat of my heart pulsed for the chance to climb Everest myself.”

The visceral description of Atlas’s heart “pulsing” with desire emphasizes the teenager’s ambition—a trait that he gets from his father. This emotional imagery shows his passion for mountain climbing and upholds Everest as a symbol of personal achievement and humanity’s collective quest to accomplish great things in the world.

“I could never have imagined these seracs would be shaped into near-perfect triangles of such staggering height. To see them from the moraine was dramatic and beautiful, but to walk among them here felt almost like walking through a dream.”

As Atlas expresses his amazement at Mount Everest’s surreal landscape, it is clear that this mountain far surpasses those that he has previously traversed. The alien nature of the landscape also illustrates the deep challenges that he and his companions will encounter as they boldly seek to conquer the isolated peak. The simile comparing the experience to walking through a dream stresses the beauty and majesty of the mountains. In this context, the seracs are a symbol of power and danger, and they tower over Atlas, standing as an implicit threat that soon becomes very real.

“The enemy would come to our shores, one way or another.”

This statement introduces the threatening presence of the Nazis and the imminence of World War II. Given the team’s remote location, their talk of war indicates that the current political tensions have spread across the entire world, threatening everything and everyone to some degree. The suggestion of an inevitable confrontation sets a tone of challenge and tension that intensifies as the narrative unfolds.

“Atlas, the problem is your focus. In critical moments, it wanders away too easily from what is most important. You’ll sacrifice a pound to save a farthing.”

In a frustrated tone, Atlas’s father plainly lays out his son’s chief faults, scolding Atlas for his tendency to lose sight of priorities. By using the metaphor of sacrificing a pound to save a farthing, Atlas’s father stresses the protagonist’s failure to accurately assess risks and act accordingly, suggesting that such traits are a dangerous liability in mountaineering. Atlas resists his father’s advice at first, but once his father is lost in the avalanche, he begins to consider the true meaning of these words. As the challenges of the mountain force Atlas to mature, he finally understands the need for discipline and strategic thinking, and he ultimately becomes more self-aware.

“They were ordinary days, even boring days. Then came the morning of September third. It was the day my life changed forever, and it would happen within seconds.”

The descriptions of the somewhat ordinary life that Atlas and the others lived before the war began are contrasted with the dramatic changes that occur afterward. The phrase “within seconds” emphasizes the unpredictability of these life-altering events. The looming presence of World War II haunts the characters even in the midst of their remote Tibetan adventure, influencing their actions and thoughts about one another and inspiring new forms of fear.

“[The echo] was sharp, like the single bang of a heavy drum. Three seconds of silence followed, then I heard a swoosh, like a basketball thrown cleanly through a net. Here on Everest, there were often unusual sounds, but these were different.”

The similes comparing the echo to a drum combine with the onomatopoetic inclusion of words like “swoosh” to create a dramatic sensory experience that approximates the visceral experiences of dangerous moments on the mountains. The tense tone of the passage implies that the characters are on high alert, assessing each unexplained noise for the presence of danger. The mention of unusual sounds on Everest emphasizes the idea that the unexpected lurks around every corner.

“We came here knowing that death was a possibility and we might have to leave someone behind. But we would never leave without knowing if the team is still alive.”

This statement reflects the harsh realities of mountaineering, emphasizing the acceptance of risk and the value of Overcoming Challenges as a Team. Atlas’s commitment to ascertaining the team’s well-being shows his loyalty and responsibility and illustrates his growing maturity. His thoughts also demonstrate his newfound ability to handle difficult and complex situations.

“She was staring at a crevasse. I’d only done something on this scale once in my life, about two years ago. Try as I might, it was something I’d never forget.”

The reference to Atlas’s past experience with a dangerous crevasse invokes a sense of foreboding, as treacherous obstacles such as this can have a lasting impact. Rather than becoming paralyzed by his fears, however, Atlas uses his past experiences to survive in the present, and his mistakes from the past therefore become useful tools in a time of adversity.

“Yet for all our efforts, the sun could not be slowed in its descent. One last wall awaited us, a straight vertical climb up the ice. We had only minutes of light left.”

The imagery of the sun’s descent and the coming darkness creates a sense of urgency and suspense. The “straight vertical climb” emphasizes the near impossibility of the physical and mental obstacles faced by the team. This quote emphasizes the power of the mountain and the intensity of the conditions, which change minute by minute. In this context, the slightest mistake or delay can mean the difference between life and death, and it is clear that every second counts.

“That was the rule I planned to follow on this mountain, to do the right thing, even if it wasn’t the easy thing.”

In this passage, Atlas declares his commitment to his own personal morals, even when faced with pressure to do otherwise. This decision demonstrates his newfound willingness to sacrifice himself to save others. The contrast between the concepts of “right” and “easy” is designed to illustrate one of many moral dilemmas that face those who must make difficult choices in extreme conditions.

“My country was at war, and for the first time, I began to understand why Mr. Blake referred to this climb as an assault. Climbing the North Ridge would be a battle, one I didn’t know if we could win.”

By comparing the climb to a “battle,” the author deliberately invokes bellicose imagery to implicitly link the characters’ current challenges with the broader threat of World War II, which has just barely begun to wreak havoc. By equating the intensity of the expedition with the hazards of war, the author creates a visceral depiction of the unpredictable nature of mountain climbing.

“When everything in life blurs, survival becomes a matter of instinct. There’s no time to think, no time to make a decision or ask a question. It becomes important to do something. Anything.”

The deliberately breathless, disjointed tone of this quote uses a stream-of-consciousness style to convey the disorienting experience of high-altitude survival. The repetition of the phrase “no time” emphasizes the urgency of making quick but smart decisions, and the staccato ending with the word “anything” conveys the desperation that drives moment-to-moment decisions in the extremities that exist in high altitudes.

“My weight shifted, and suddenly I looked down at nothing at all. The grass ended at the top of a cliff. I began to tilt over the edge.”

The imagery of this passage illustrates Atlas’s grip in the clutches of terror as he teeters on the edge of falling into the abyss. The scene shows the bravery required to confront such dangers with little aid, and the cinematic nature of the scene emphasizes the danger and uncertainty that exist atop Mount Everest.

“I folded my arms and stared at [the boulders], wondering where to begin. Some were larger than an automobile, and a few of them looked as if they were balanced on the ridge by little more than a dusting of snow at their base.”

The simile comparing boulders to automobiles emphasizes the obstacles’ stolid size, while the description of their tenuous positioning on the mountainside illustrates the hidden dangers that the protagonists must face. This situation presents a perfect opportunity for Maddie and Atlas to rely on each other to overcome a particularly treacherous challenge.

“Instinctively, I grabbed her coat and yanked her toward me, then tilted myself backward to fall on what I hoped would be solid ground. Maddie screamed as she fell, and I probably screamed too. I landed first, a huge relief. Maddie landed in the snow beside me. My ice axe hit my chest, forcing air out of my lungs.”

Nielsen’s narrative style shifts jarringly between inner contemplations and intense play-by-play descriptions in order to emphasize the innate connection between the physical and emotional landscapes that dominate the narrative. As Maddie and Atlas overcome one challenge after another, their experience is fraught with chaos and confusion, and the words themselves are designed to convey the violence and terror of their fall.

“Banff was as beautiful a distraction as could be found.”

This description portrays Banff’s beauty as a temporary escape from grief, and Atlas’s focus on its status as a “distraction” emphasizes his ongoing struggle with Learning to Move Forward After Loss. The sorrowful tone of the passage suggests that Atlas’s appreciation for Banff’s beauty nonetheless remains tainted by his underlying preoccupation with his grief, and it is clear that he can never truly escape his feelings of loss.

“‘I can’t be afraid anymore.’

I was certain I had heard her wrong. Of course I had, because no one could choose to turn off fear the way a person might turn off a light.”

Atlas admires Maddie’s courage, especially given her fear of heights and her lack of experience in mountain climbing. Haunted as he is by his own fears and uncertainties, he cannot believe that she is simply able to decide not to be afraid anymore. However, Maddie’s statement reflects her understanding that they are running out of time and cannot afford to hesitate.

“Where your eyes go, your feet will follow.”

This adage, which has been passed down through Atlas’s family, serves as a dire warning for Atlas to maintain his focus in both mountaineering and in life. Just as focusing on a crevasse will cause him to teeter treacherously over its edge and perhaps plunge to his death, focusing solely on the losses and mistakes of the past will keep him mired in place, unable to more forward into a more promising future. Ultimately, Atlas discovers that he must look forward and upward in order to succeed on the mountain and in life.

“Every time I step onto a mountain, I hope something along the way will give me a feeling of peace, but it never does. I keep trying, though, because I want to know that even without my mum, one day, everything for me will be…fine. Truly fine.”

The recurrence of the word “fine” in this context echoes Atlas’s frequent assertions that he is “fine” even when he is not. In this context, the need to climb mountains in order to gain “a feeling of peace” and to be “truly fine” represent Atlas’s desperate need (and simultaneous inability) to move on with his life. By insisting that nothing is wrong even in the midst of his distress, Atlas stolidly refuses to acknowledge or deal with his deepest feelings, and they therefore continue to dominate his life and his thoughts. The juxtaposition of hope and repeated disappointment also emphasizes Atlas’s sense of loss, which contrasts with his hope and persistence.

“I needed time to think before I fell asleep again. Everest had kept the secrets of other climbers’ fates. If I couldn’t figure out what Dad had meant by the ‘hole,’ then we might never discover what happened to our team.”

A sense of mystery pervades this moment of desperate contemplation as Atlas wonders about his father’s reference to the “hole” during their brief moment of connection via radio. As Atlas focuses on his worries over the team’s safety, he keenly feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, and his sentiments reflect his efforts at navigating the road to maturity as he takes responsibility for finding and rescuing the missing team members. It is also clear that he is eager to keep pushing forward, often at the risk of failing to take care of himself in the midst of his efforts to help others.

“I had to remember that what made Everest beautiful also made it dangerous.”

This paradox emphasizes the paradoxical nature of Everest as a simultaneous source of beauty and destruction. Atlas’s statement also reflects his attempt to keep his perspective clear and remind himself of the risks inherent in his situation. In his quest to improve his focus, he strives to keep the wonders around him in proper perspective so that he does not overlook a life-threatening risk in the mountain’s treacherous landscape.

“What if the choice was between saving those I loved or keeping my old life, the life in which I looked backward and froze during difficult times, and kept myself in that cocoon of my mum’s old scarf?”

In this sharp moment of realization, Atlas is faced with the full ramifications of his unresolved grief. The metaphor of the “cocoon” symbolizes his past attachment and reluctance to move forward in the aftermath of his mother’s death, and he is only now realizing that the process of learning to move forward after loss requires letting go of grief despite its familiarity and paradoxical comforts. His reluctance to lay his past to rest reflects the internal conflict between holding on and letting go.

“We were going to rescue our team today.”

This willful declaration reflects Atlas’s determination to overcome the steep odds against him and rescue his father and the other missing teammates. His words also stand as a shift from survival to active purpose, representing his ever-persistent feelings of hope and emphasizing the importance of overcoming challenges through teamwork.