The title gives the readers a piece of ironic flavour because of the play on words. While the climb occurs on April Fools day, Roddan concludes that the two climbers are also "The April fools, married with fear and laughter on Polar Circus". Clearly, many would perceive them as fools for undertaking such a dangerous climb, especially at that time of the year. However, Roddan challenges the skeptics with her thesis "The tango with fear makes me wise" through which she reveals a central paradox: that she is wiser because of her foolishness.
Roddan support her thesis when she describes how "we use our ice axes to shatter our frozen worlds into crystals of ice and fear. One of the strong pulls of ice climbing is the tremendous range of feelings …show more content…
From the thesis, expressed as the metaphor "The tango with fear makes me wise," Roddan establishes the nature of the relationship with Polar Circus. As she engages the mountain, which is "steep enough to burn our calves", she yields as the "rhythm takes hold, and the dance begins" even though it later "becomes a struggle." Only through the "desire" and "commitment" to subdue her fear will she be able to reach "the wild, silent places that wait." Likewise, the wedding imagery illustrates the sense of reward. The two climbers are innocent in their knowledge of the mountain. Roddan describes how "Today’s brides approach slowly, touched by the mystery and majesty of the place." As they ascend the "enormous wedding gown" of ice, they proceed with "solemn focus" until the "final veil is torn away." Reaching the summit, then, is a ceremony, a celebration of union with the mountain: two equals coming together in "a happy marriage of fear, sweat, intelligent strength, and smiles."
It becomes clear immediately that it’s a narrative essay due to the consistent use of first person pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘myself’, and ‘we’, and the formal style of communication used, for example, in the phrase “I force myself to breathe, to generate my own flow, to create my own beat. But nothing feels right.” Also, the author uses imagery, particularly relating to the wedding and dance themes, to make the reader feel the events of the
Roddan support her thesis when she describes how "we use our ice axes to shatter our frozen worlds into crystals of ice and fear. One of the strong pulls of ice climbing is the tremendous range of feelings …show more content…
From the thesis, expressed as the metaphor "The tango with fear makes me wise," Roddan establishes the nature of the relationship with Polar Circus. As she engages the mountain, which is "steep enough to burn our calves", she yields as the "rhythm takes hold, and the dance begins" even though it later "becomes a struggle." Only through the "desire" and "commitment" to subdue her fear will she be able to reach "the wild, silent places that wait." Likewise, the wedding imagery illustrates the sense of reward. The two climbers are innocent in their knowledge of the mountain. Roddan describes how "Today’s brides approach slowly, touched by the mystery and majesty of the place." As they ascend the "enormous wedding gown" of ice, they proceed with "solemn focus" until the "final veil is torn away." Reaching the summit, then, is a ceremony, a celebration of union with the mountain: two equals coming together in "a happy marriage of fear, sweat, intelligent strength, and smiles."
It becomes clear immediately that it’s a narrative essay due to the consistent use of first person pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘myself’, and ‘we’, and the formal style of communication used, for example, in the phrase “I force myself to breathe, to generate my own flow, to create my own beat. But nothing feels right.” Also, the author uses imagery, particularly relating to the wedding and dance themes, to make the reader feel the events of the