between a rock and a hard place Flashcards
(29 cards)
a chockstone the size of a large bus tire
metaphor used for a comparison of large size to help emphasise scale to the reader as these are extremely large, but also to possibly start implying they can move as that’s what a wheel does.
with a scraping quake
assonance and onomatopoeia to reveal the horrible noise that was made and signified his difficulty.
Instantly, I know this is trouble
Adverb used to signify a moment of suspense and make the moment of his realisation he was in difficulty more dramatic.
the chockstone…consumes the sky
personification to suggest it has a mind of its own and is almost doing this to him deliberately.
Fear shoots my hands over my head
Reactive action to show the great peril he is in.
My only hope…
Thought to show and exaggerate his desperation
The next three seconds play out at a tenth of their normal speed.
Manipulation of time to show the horror he must have been experiencing.
refrigerator chockstone
metaphor to describe the size of the rock using household item we can all understand is big.
I come to another drop-off
Opens in the middle of the action to show he has been climbing for awhile prior to this and that this is almost routine.
This one is maybe eleven or twelve feet high, a foot higher and of a different geometry than the overhang I descended ten minutes ago
Anecdote to reveal he is both experienced, has been climbing for awhile today and a bit of a daredevil and moving very quickly.
the claustrophobic feel of a short tunnel
metaphoric language used to create the impression of what he was experiencing more vividly and also hint at trouble to come as being hemmed in is not a nice feeling.
Instead of the walls widening after the drop-off, or opening into a bowl at the bottom of the canyon, here the slot narrows to a consistent three feet across at the lip of the dropoff and continues at that width for fifty feet down the canyon
Use of factual language of the width and height mixed with vivid description helps to build suspense and imply the dangerous environment and continue the theme of him being hemmed in by the rock, but also surrounded by peril.
Sometimes in narrow passages like this one, it’s possible for me to stem my body across the slot
Use of this word suggests no matter how experience you are you have to adapt as you can’t always climb the same way, but also that he has various methods
my feet and back pushing out in opposite directions against the walls. Controlling this counter pressure by switching my hands and feet on the opposing walls, I can move up or down the shoulder width crevice fairly easily as long as the friction contact stays solid between the walls and my hands, feet, and back.
Use of enumeration suggests there is a great deal you have to do while climbing almost simultaneously, but the use of the conditional language after the adverb that states it is not difficult suggests despite this you are still reliant on other factors.
This technique is known as stemming or chimneying;
technical language implying he is an experienced climber and knows what methods are called.
you can imagine using it to climb up the inside of a chimney
Shows he is aware his reader may not be as experienced a climber as him so needs clarification using easier explanations.
If I can step onto it
Use of this word suggests it may be difficult just to get on to the rock and starts suggesting he is not fully in control of what he is doing.
I’ll dangle off the chockstone
Use of this word suggests he is not in complete control as it means to hang loose
Stemming across the canyon at the lip of the drop-off, with one foot and one hand on each of the walls, I traverse out to the chockstone
Turning point and move into the present tense to increase tension and speed and make it more dramatic as we can experience the action as he explains what he did step by step.
With my right foot, I kick at the boulder to test how stuck it is. It’s jammed tightly enough to hold my weight.
Suggests he did not take enough care to see if the rock was strong enough and this was a crucial mistake.
I lower myself from the chimneying position and step onto the chockstone. It supports me but teeters slightly
Use of this verb suggests trouble ahead as it means unsteady or swaying.
As I dangle, I feel the stone respond to my adjusting grip
Repetition of this word throughout passage implies he is not in control and taking too many risks and this time it seems to be having an impact on his surroundings.
Instantly, I know this is trouble, and instinctively, I let go of the rotating boulder to land on the round rocks below
Listing of adverbs reveal how quickly he senses he is in trouble.
I can’t move backward or I’ll fall over a small ledge.
Inner thoughts of the writing as he explains the peril of his situation and why he is so helpless.
