Alienation In Into Thin Air

Alienation is defined by "the state of being isolated from a group or activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved." Alienation is a reoccurring theme in the both The Lost World, and, Into Thin Air. The problem with alienation in each book is that it has a negative effect on the characters and their decision-making. Into Thin Air is the book about the Mt. Everest disaster. The main character and narrator John Krakauer is invited to join Rob Hall’s expedition team, little did he know what was about to happen. In this book, the reader does not see alienation until almost the end of the book. Krakauer makes it to the top of the summit, keeping in mind that he is the first one to reach the summit. Because of a huge storm everyone is told to go back to camp. Krakauer headed back down the mountain and arrived at camp before the nightfall. However, other climbers are still up at the top of the summit or making the trek back to camp. Throughout the night the worst part of the storm hits. When morning comes, Krakauer finds himself all alone. Krakauer is almost non-existent in the rescue efforts,

The biggest difference between the characters in the book "Into Thin Air" is that it is a non- fiction story and during the expedition Krakauer was not alone. Since he was not with some of the climbers that he made claims about, he was seen as a liar. The things he spoke out about were from his point of view and his experiences on the mountain, but others that were there, but not with Krakauer, saw his story as false. In the book, "The Lost World" Dr. Malcolm is not alone on his expedition to the island. When he gets back to the States, he speaks out about the research he did and what he discovered. No one else on the expedition would back up his claims, therefore it greatly affected the doctor’s social status and credit as a