84 pages 2 hours read

Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Essay Topics

1.

How is Sandy Pittman characterized as the epitome of the commercialization of Everest? Do you see her as a villain? Do you feel empathy for her?

2.

How does Krakauer use foreshadowing in the opening chapters to hint at the later tragedy?

3.

Rob Hall is characterized as meticulous and cautious. How do his errors on Everest illustrate Krakauer’s point that “on Everest it is the nature of systems to break down with a vengeance?” (287).

Related Titles

By Jon Krakauer

Study Guide

logo

Missoula

Jon Krakauer

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

Jon Krakauer

Study Guide

logo

Under the Banner of Heaven

Jon Krakauer

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Jon Krakauer

Study Guide

logo

Where Men Win Glory

Jon Krakauer

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

Jon Krakauer