Key Assignment Two – “In Trouble” by Gary Paulsen
“In Trouble” by Gary Paulsen is a story of adventure filled with rich and detailed setting that helps readers better understand the mood of the story as well the author’s negative tone about this brutally frigid arctic land. In the story, the author, Gary Paulsen, describes the setting as follows: “ Serious cold. Forty, fifty, even sixty below zero-actual temperature, not windchill-seems to change everything. Steel becomes brittle and breaks, shatters; breath taken straight into the throat will freeze the lining and burst blood vessels; eyes exposed too long will freeze; fingers and toes freeze, turn black, and break off. These are all known normal parts of intense cold.” (Page 154) The authors tone is critical, he feels as if he has to survive in the cold weather.
His mood is anxious since the weather is life- threatening towards him. Another way Paulsen described his adventure was when he said: “There was a point where an old logging trail went through a small, sharp-sided gully- a tiny canyon. The trail came down one wall of the gully-a drop of fifty or so feet-then scooted across a frozen stream and up the other side. It might have been a game trial that was slightly widened or an old foot trial that had not caved in. Whatever it was, I came onto in the middle of January. The dogs were very excited . New trails always get them tuned up and they were fairly smoking as we came to the edge of the gully.” (Page 156) Paulsens tone was questionable, he knew the trail was not easy, he also was aware of the risk he can put