Into Thin Air: Character Archetypes

" 'With so many incompetent people on the mountain," Rob Hall, my expedition's guide, said with a frown one evening in late April, "I think it's pretty unlikely that we'll get through this season without something bad happening up high'" (Into Thin Air, page 130).

Since I'm reading a book about an American expedition climbing the tallest mountain in the world and the many disastrous things that happen, there was obviously a lot of different character archetypes displayed throughout the plot. However, the character that most clearly showed a character archetype was Rob Hall, the head guide of the expedition climbing Everest. Throughout the book, Rob is exemplified the many characteristics of the mentor. I believe this because he aided and trained the many mountaineers that were ascending Mt. Everest in his expedition, gave the climbers a gift and provided the many heroes in the story, the climbers in his expedition, a test to prove their worth.

Firstly, Rob displayed the qualities of a mentor because he aided and trained the heroes. Throughout the book, Rob and his assistant guides aid the many climbers in their expedition by telling them where to climb and when so they can adjust to the air at higher altitudes. Due to this, the climbers became better prepared for their quest to the summit. Also, Rob aids the climbers physiologically though these climbs because through them the members of his expedition received confidence in themselves and trust in their guides.

Secondly, Rob exemplified the mentor because he gave the members of his team an important gift that would assist them to the top of the world. This gift was his knowledge. Since Rob had climbed Everest so many times in his years, he had vast knowledge of the mountain. Therefore, throughout the many climbs the expedition did to prepare for the summit, he gave his clients tips and suggestions. This caused the climbers in his group to become better climbers and become more prepared the many disastrous things that would happen during their time on Everest.

Finally, Rob showed he was a mentor because he provides the heroes in the story, his group's clients, many tests and challenges to prove their worth. In order for his group to become prepared for their climb to the summit, he forced them to complete acclimatization climbs. Acclimatization climbs were the mountaineers in the story travelling up to higher camps on the mountain and coming back down to Base Camp. They occurred many times in the book because they allowed for the climbers to adjust to the low amounts of oxygen at high altitudes. However, in my opinion, they were also a test provided by Rob Hall and his assistants to the climbers. These climbs were a test because they showed whether or not the group was prepared for their climb to the summit or needed more time practicing and prepared for their climb to the summit.

Therefore, I believe Rob was a mentor through his aiding and training of the climbers in his group, the fact he gave his mountaineers the gift of his knowledge to assist them to the summit of Everest and because he provided his expedition with numerous tests to prove their worth.