Descriptive Language In Heat-Moon And Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

In writing, descriptive language is used in order to engage the reader in the story. Most authors practice this is their writing, whether it be fiction or nonfiction. When authors include descriptive language, it helps tell the story that the reader is trying to communicate in a vivid manner. Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, and Wild by Cheryl Strayed all used descriptive language in the narratives. Heat-Moon’s, Krakauer’s, and Strayed’s use of imagery, personification, and symbolism helps portray their narratives and communicate the message that they intended.
The imagery used in the narratives helps the picture the scene that the author is describing. Imagery appeals to the senses and the readers experiences the episode as if they are actually there. One sense that all the authors appeal to is the sense of sight. For example, Heat-Moon uses imagery in his narrative in order to describe the scenes that he sees on his drive. For example,
Strayed appeals to sight in her description of the trail on which she is backpacking, and includes what the trail feels like as well. Strayed describes how the trail looks and feels by writing, “Sometimes the trail was sandy, other times rocky or muddy or pebbly or cushioned with layers upon layers of pine needles. It could be black or brown or gray or blonde as butterscotch, but always the PCT” (137). The colors that she uses helps the reader picture what the trail looks like, and the different textures that she describes helps the reader feel what it would be like to backpack on the PCT. The use of imagery in Into Thin Air and Wild help the reader relate to the narrative in a deeper way. Krakauer and Strayed both use imagery to describe the object that they were conquering. By using imagery, the authors help the reader understand how difficult it is to finish Mount Everest and Pacific Crest