Challenges are what shape and mold characters as well as people in real life. The way an individual, whether they are fictional or living, solves the challenges they have been presented with will reveal their inner-self as well as their true character. In the short story A Mountain Journey by Howard O’Hagan, the reader is able to follow along with the protagonist of the story Dave Conroy on his journey as he faces many challenges, some of which lead to more obstacles, and fights to overcome them. Although, as we learn in this story and many others, there is never an easy, best or right solution to overcoming a problem as it all depends on the character and what their goal is. Setting and dilemma are mainly used to illustrate this idea.
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Dave Conroy is faced with an internal dilemma and the decision to either stop, make camp and warm up after he gets his hands and feet wet when he falls into the air hole or continue onwards and try and make it to Hoodoo Cabins where he will be able to spend the night in warmth, comfort and safety. When Dave decides to continue on it reveals that although he is smart enough to have survived the harsh living and environmental conditions of the mountain, when it comes to his pride and judgements he is blinded by stubbornness and so determined to succeed he cannot risk losing and being unable to make it to the shelter in one night. “He wriggled his toes in his boots. They were cold, but perhaps he thought, not wet. Only his ankles and heels seemed wet. If he hurried, he could make it”(O’Hagan, page 103). At this point in the story Dave knows that he is slowly getting colder and number by the minute yet refuses to slow down and rest. Instead he continues on, knowing that he is slowly getting colder and may soon lose feeling in both his hands and his feet. Dave is so …show more content…
Since Dave Conroy is in a harsh environment all by himself, the actions he takes affect only himself which leads to him being potentially more risky with his decisions than he normally would be because he knows that he will not harm anyone but himself and he is also of the belief that since he is experienced and this is not his first time ascending/descending a mountain, he knows what to do and if needed to, he will be be able to get himself out of a sticky situation although as the story shows, Dave is not able to overcome his ignorance despite his belief that he can. In certain parts of the story, when David becomes a victim of the hostile, cold and frozen environment of the mountain, he is unable to process coherent thoughts and is thus unable to make wise decisions because of his previous actions which have lead to more and more complications and challenges. Although, he knows he should not, Dave rules with his emotions rather than his logic as shown here: “But it was late…..He was less than three miles from the cabin, and the promise of its warmth and comfort would not let him stop” (O’Hagan, page 103). Since Dave has decided to abandon all logic and the fact that he knows someone who has suffered the consequences of
Dave Conroy is faced with an internal dilemma and the decision to either stop, make camp and warm up after he gets his hands and feet wet when he falls into the air hole or continue onwards and try and make it to Hoodoo Cabins where he will be able to spend the night in warmth, comfort and safety. When Dave decides to continue on it reveals that although he is smart enough to have survived the harsh living and environmental conditions of the mountain, when it comes to his pride and judgements he is blinded by stubbornness and so determined to succeed he cannot risk losing and being unable to make it to the shelter in one night. “He wriggled his toes in his boots. They were cold, but perhaps he thought, not wet. Only his ankles and heels seemed wet. If he hurried, he could make it”(O’Hagan, page 103). At this point in the story Dave knows that he is slowly getting colder and number by the minute yet refuses to slow down and rest. Instead he continues on, knowing that he is slowly getting colder and may soon lose feeling in both his hands and his feet. Dave is so …show more content…
Since Dave Conroy is in a harsh environment all by himself, the actions he takes affect only himself which leads to him being potentially more risky with his decisions than he normally would be because he knows that he will not harm anyone but himself and he is also of the belief that since he is experienced and this is not his first time ascending/descending a mountain, he knows what to do and if needed to, he will be be able to get himself out of a sticky situation although as the story shows, Dave is not able to overcome his ignorance despite his belief that he can. In certain parts of the story, when David becomes a victim of the hostile, cold and frozen environment of the mountain, he is unable to process coherent thoughts and is thus unable to make wise decisions because of his previous actions which have lead to more and more complications and challenges. Although, he knows he should not, Dave rules with his emotions rather than his logic as shown here: “But it was late…..He was less than three miles from the cabin, and the promise of its warmth and comfort would not let him stop” (O’Hagan, page 103). Since Dave has decided to abandon all logic and the fact that he knows someone who has suffered the consequences of