Into Thin Air
select one of the topics below for an argumentative research paper. In a 5-7-page paper, research a topic and do the followin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing: 1)
Topics:
1. Why do people climb Mt. Everest?
Krakauer in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">informs us early in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in his book that, “The slopes of Everest are littered with corpses.” Most people would argue that the idea of spendin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing $65,000 for a precarious attempt at climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing Mt.
Everest that may result in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in failure or even death seems not just foolish, but downright crazy. Yet, as Krakauer writes, “Once Everest was determin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ined to be the highest summit on earth, it was only a
matter of time before people decided that Everest needed to be climbed” and the number of climbers who seek the trophy of Everest contin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">inues to in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">increase every year, resultin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in a steady stream of
traffic. What is behin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ind the great lure of Everest? What kin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ind of person feels compelled to take this risk and why? What role does the risk and need for adventure play in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in human psychology? How does
this desire vary across different cultures?
2. Gender and Into Thin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in Air
How does bein" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing a man or a woman affect the experience of the climbers in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in this book? Is there a difference in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in what draws women to climb versus what draws men? Mountain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ineerin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing is a sport with a
predomin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">inantly masculin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ine history. The excessive muscle train" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing of Scott Fischer and the machismo of the Sherpa culture directly play a role in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in the deaths of Fischer and Ngawang. Researchin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing
masculin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">inity and mountain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing might help lead to a deeper psychological understandin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing of why these men acted the way they did. On the other hand, you may wish to study the “tomboyish” qualities
of Sandy Pittman and defiance of Yasuko Namba that set them apart from the docile stereotypes sometimes associated with women.
3. Ethics on Everest
There are many moral/ethical dilemmas that arise in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing Mount Everest. Who gets to climb Everest and how, or even whether it should be climbed, remain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ins an issue of great debate. This topic
might in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">include researchin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing and takin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing a position on whether or not Mount Everest should be closed permanently to climbers, whether bottled oxygen should be required for climbers/guides on Everest,
whether or not climbers should be required to have a certain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in amount of prior climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing/high altitude experience before bein" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing allowed to climb Everest, whether or not expeditions should or should not
be required to halt their climbs to aid endangered climbers, etc.
4. Sherpa culture and how it has been changed by mountain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ineerin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing
In the last 90 years, sin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ince the British embarked on their first expedition to Everest, the Sherpa culture has transformed dramatically. Once, a rugged, unin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">industrialized devout group of Buddhists
who believed climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing Everest was blasphemy, today’s sherpas are modernized, climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing professionals whose help is in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">indispensable to climbin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing expeditions. How has mountain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ineerin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing changed this culture
and what are the implications of these changes? Does this culture stand to gain" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in more or lose more by profitin" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">in" rel="nofollow">ing from Everest?