Silent Witness Summary and Analysis

As Simon makes his own descent, he comes to the crevasse where he believes Joe fell to his death. He says that the horror of the ordeal strikes him anew and he feels as if he has just cut the rope again. He says he might as well have put a gun to Joe's head and pulled the trigger. Simon says that the events of the previous day have receded somewhat and he wishes they were back in full. He says that, faced with the fact he is almost clear of the mountain, he needs to remember the full hopelessness of the situation in order to justify his survival. Instead, he has "the stark blackness of the crevasse to accuse me." As he finishes the descent, he says to himself that he is relieved that the crevasse made it...