Literary Devices In Baked Alaska

In his article “Baked Alaska: Surviving Aniakchak National Monument”, Christopher Solomon argues the importance of taking risks and traveling where few have gone before. Though there might be hardships along the way, the experiences will be worth it. Solomon provides sufficient evidence by sharing his feelings, using statistics, and using literary devices to support his argument. However, his experience is only relatable to those who are daredevils. To the rest of us, this article is more of an informative read about the Alaska Peninsula.

Christopher Solomon takes us through a trip he took with two friends through the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve--the least visited site in the 401-unit national park system. Jimmy Christensen, a

One way Solomon accomplishes this is by the inclusion of many detailed descriptions, especially when pointing out the different colors of Aniakchak. Audiences can imagine “candy-striped” walls in pink and red, “electric green moss”, and springs bubbling with “ferric browns and pumpkin oranges”. Solomon also uses many numbers and statistics throughout his article to highlight how strenuous of a trip this was. For example, they took three flights to reach Port Heiden, backpacked 22 miles into the caldera, floated 38 miles to the Pacific Ocean, then hiked 80 miles in four days to reach Chignik Lagoon. The use of personification was also prevalent in this article. One instance was when he described the strong winds as the group entered the crater. It roared, grabbed backpacks, and tossed the group into the crater. The combination of all of these methods helps readers see for themselves how rewarding this difficult, dangerous trek was for Solomon and his

I never knew Alaska had hidden gems such as the Aniakchak National Monument. Before, I’ve only ever considered Alaska as a desolate frozen tundra with white, packed snow as far as the eye can see. Solomon’s article changed my viewpoint about this place, revealing that there is life and color there. Solomon’s immersion into nature at Aniakchak gives him a new outlook on life which is intended to persuade the audience to do the same. However, I did not feel inclined to do so because I couldn’t relate to his exciting trip. His article didn’t reassure me that things would be okay if I took a big risk. Sure the rewards could be worthwhile, but at what cost? A trip to such a difficult terrain would never be plausible for me. It sounds too crazy to even think about taking a big risk such as this. “Baked Alaska” is a fun read to learn more about the Alaskan environment, but unless you’re a daredevil, don’t expect this essay to be much more than