Questions on an extract from "Touching The Void" by Joe Simpson.

Touching the Void

1.    1.    · Joe Simpson uses “the fireball” (line 27 in Joe’s account) as a metaphor giving a name to the hurt he feels in his groin and thigh. This helps him describe it without making the reading pace slow down by adding a description which would eventually bore the reader, as in the previous paragraphs there has been an abundance of it. On the other hand, this helps Simpson speed up the text, which is convenient, as the events taking place are quick and brusque.

· Simpson uses a variety of sentence structure in his text. For instance, he uses short and imperative sentences to show the anxiety and sharpness in Joe’s thoughts (lines from 31 to 41 in Joe’s account). One of the best examples of this is: “He would leave me.” (line 40 in Joe’s account). In this short sentence Joe’s feelings are read in the way he presents the fact. Joe has no doubt about it, and that’s what charges his anxiousness.

· In lines 9 to 11 in Joe’s account, Joe Simpson, uses commas instead of full stops to produce a long sentence. This creates tension, as it keeps the reader knowing that there’s something waiting after the point. Stinson then releases this tension by using short sentences and exclamation marks: “My leg!... My leg!”

2.    2.   Having both Joe’s and Simon’s viewpoints helps the reader have a more complete and unbiased opinion of the events taking place. It is also a good way for Simpson to build an image of the characters without adding long and often tedious descriptions, which would most probably bore a reasonable percentage of the potential readers. On the other hand, if we take into consideration the type of events that take place during the text, Simpson cannot afford to slow down much the reading pace, as it would eliminate the tension being created by the events and by doing so, the text would lose all its dramatic appeal.

3.    3.   Joe Simpson uses emotive vocabulary, especially in Joe’s account, to make the reader relate to the characters. An example of this is “I felt like screaming, and I felt like swearing,”. Here, we can appreciate how Simpson explains the climber’s feelings (he uses the verb felt) to help the reader relate to them. Simpson also humanizes both Joe and Simon by showing their feelings, worries and thoughts; even though Joe’s emotions are stronger and therefore better understood. We can prove this helps the reader relate to them if we compare Joe to Simon. While reading Joe’s account, the reader feels what Joe feels because of the strong emotions caused by the accident. On the other hand, Simon is almost like a rock in what to emotions refers, he doesn’t express strong or powerful emotions which makes it harder for the reader to relate to him. Using this knowledge we can conclude that characters need to show emotion and be humanized for the reader to relate to them.

4.  4.     This text has been written mainly to entertain. This can be appreciated in the way the author uses vocabulary and in the way he tells the story. Simpson uses emotional and powerful vocabulary to create powerful and long-lasting images in the reader’s mind. The author would not want the events taking place on one chapter to be forgotten while reading another one, so the his recount of what happened that day may be exaggerated or decorated to make them more appealing and extreme. This is mainly a feature of a text written to entertain.