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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the first thing Simon says to Joe after Joe tells him about the broken leg?

2. What do the climbers run out of in the chapter "On the Edge"?

3. What object does Joe have trouble with in the beginning of the story?

4. How many hours do Joe and Ian hang on the rope before being rescued?

5. When the rope suddenly pulls on Simon with great force, what situation is Joe in that Simon cannot see?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Simon and Joe avoid the issue of discussing their game plan after Joe's injury?

2. Compare or contrast the influence of the incident on The Bonatti Pillar on the climbing careers of Joe Simpson and Ian Whittaker.

3. What worries Joe and Simon the most about the final part of the route to the summit?

4. On page 65 in "On the Edge", Joe says, 'Funny how my anxiety [about Simon's frostbitten fingers] seemed to have more to do with whether he would be able to carry on climbing after we got down rather than concern for his injuries'. Why is this statement significant?

5. Describe the first bivouac site on Siula Grande.

6. Describe the Peruvian family that lives in the huts.

7. Why does Simon cut the rope?

8. When Joe and Simon start their ascent of the first ice wall on Siula Grande, what is Joe's attitude toward what they are doing?

9. On the eve of the summit conquest, what does Simon do that leaves Joe in disbelief?

10. After Joe tells Simon that he has broken his leg, he describes the pitiful look that Simon gives him as, 'a distance given to a wounded animal which could not be helped' (p74). From Simon's point of view, why does he give him this look?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout his ordeal, Simon mentions the presence of songs and song lyrics in his head, even ones that he hates. Research and write about why this happens in the human psyche. Do you think that this means music plays an important role in Joe's life? How, exactly, is the music helping Joe? Is the music as prevalent as the voices and thoughts? Briefly mention your own experience with this phenomenon when under stress, if any.

Essay Topic 2

What would you do in a similar or identical predicament as Joe's? Simon's? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and/or contrast Joe's use of patterns and rhythm throughout the book. Does he use them as a function of his personality, as a result of the essence of climbing, or out of necessity? Discuss the appearance of these patterns in climbing, in the rescue attempt, and in Joe's journey back to base camp.

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