Sacrifice In Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” ~ James Allen. An individual will go to extensive lengths to stand up for what they want, even if it means risking their own life to achieve. This can be illustrated through the actions of high altitude climbers and extreme sport athletes. These individuals are willing to sacrifice themselves merely based on a passionate aspiration. An individual’s ability for self-sacrifice in life threatening conditions is often based on ones desires to achieve self-fulfillment. As portrayed throughout Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into Thin Air, climbers learn the importance of self-sacrifice in order to reach their goals and maintain the well being of others, but soon realize their capacity for self-sacrifice is greatly hindered due to conditions of the climb. This can be shown through the characters willingness to climb Mount Everest despite the life threatening conditions, the selfless act of risking their lives to help those in desperate need, and lastly, how physical ailments can …show more content…
As depicted throughout Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into Thin Air, climbers learn the importance of self-sacrifice in order to reach their goals and maintain the well being of others, but soon realize their capacity for self-sacrifice is greatly hindered due to conditions of the climb. This can be shown through Jon Krakauer’s ambitious goal of reaching the summit of Mount Everest while still fully aware of the dangers involved, Rob Hall’s selfless act of prioritizing the safety of others above his own, and how physical ailments have the ability to limit ones capacity for self-sacrifice. One must decide if the satisfaction of achieving their desired goal is worth the consequences that come along side the journey of achieving