Analysis:

Analyzing an Essay

1) Activate Prior Knowledge:

The title, "April Fools on Polar Circus," as well as some skimming through the essay, cause me to
believe it is about the emotions the author, Janet Roddan, went through while climbing the
Polar Circus on April Fools day. There is context at the beginning explaining what the Polar
Circus is, "Polar Circus is a long, alpine climb, 457 metres of vertical gain, involving both snow
and ice pitches on Cirrus Mountain in the Athabascan Icefields of the Canadian Rockies," which I
had not know before. There was one word used twice that I did not know the meaning to; the
word couloir, which means a steep, narrow gully on a mountainside.
2) Classify the essay as formal or informal.
This essay was informal. It uses popular imagery and idioms, the topic strives to entertain and
interest the reader, vivid use of language, and is explicitly stating emotions and thoughts the
writer had.
3) Identify the essay's pattern of argument:
The pattern of argument is deductive. Roddan states the thesis of the essay in the first
paragraph and then continues to support it with the account of her experience in ice climbing.
4) Identify the essay's structure:
Narrative, it tells a story and accentuates the significance the story has to the writer.
5) Determine the method of organization:
Chronological, details are presented in the order in which they occurred.
6) Determine the thesis:
The thesis is "the tango with fear makes me wise," which is presented in the final line of the first
paragraph. I believe she means to promote how good it is to face fear in the most daunting way.
She encourages readers to let the nervousness and anxiety of dear run over you, allow it to
heighten your senses, make you hyper-aware of your surrounding, and to let all of that help you
instead of shying away. To embrace the coolness of fear around your heart and use it to your
advantage. To take control and not allow the fear to hold you back from your mission. This
thesis is explicit as she states it in the first paragraph.
7) Types of proofs:
One type of proof that Roddan used is cause and effect. During the climax of the story, she is
faced with rotten ice, and she seeks for a "reason to come down." Her partner challenged her
with her response, telling Roddan that "It depends on how much you want it." Roddan is clearly
scared of continuing, but these words remind her of her purpose and her "desire, commitment,
and an incredible dislike for down climbing," drive her onward to success.
Janet Roddan also used Examples such as personal experience and emotional appeal to tell this
story. She uses vivid imagery of the melting ice to make the reader feel the same anxiety and
fear that she felt in that moment. As well, she highlights the feeling of fear (which everyone has
felt at some point or another) to connect to the audience, knowing that the reader will be able
to relate in some way or another. For example, I'm afraid of heights, and once last year for gym
class, there was a rock-climbing wall. My friend (who's also scared of heights) and I made a deal
to both get to the top and then get our teacher to take a picture. This essay reminded me of that
feeling of wanting to give up halfway up but continuing anyway.
 8) Analyze the writer's style:
One literary device that Raddon uses in this story is a simile. She describes, "The last two pitches
of the climb cascade out of the notch like an enormous wedding down," which is essential
because it established a relationship between the climbers and the mountain. As they continue,
the two women start to be referred to as brides who are embarking on brand new life
experiences together on this mountain. Therefore, the simile sets the tone for the recurring
marriage analogy because the two climbers climbing this mountain together represents an act
of union between the two.
Roddan also uses personification when talking about the mountain. In the ninth paragraph, she
says, "the great Goddess reveals her face of frozen water. I witness her dark, foreboding
pinnacles, her places of silent, quiet peace." By making imagery of the mountain a Goddess,
Roddan reinforced the concept of a relationship between herself and the ice.
Finally, she uses a metaphor when describing how "Doubt slides in with spaghetti arms and little
shivers that evaporate my courage." Spaghetti is an interesting choice of food to relate to
climbing, but it is also very impactful. Spaghetti is a very slippery and fluent, constantly changing
pasta. This could represent her fear, reducing one moment and hypersensitive the next, as well
as her everchanging trust in herself.
9) Examine the effectiveness and limitations of the essay:
I feel like this essay was highly effective for its objective. While reading this narrative essay, I felt
my own nervousness and anxiety grow as the story came to the climax and then relax as the
stories came to a steady end. The author of this story knew how to use words to convey strong
emotions as well as tell the story. The only limitation I felt, was that sometimes there were
almost too much jumping around with the imagery that I felt myself become unfocused and
confused. The first read-through, I had to reread sentences before continuing, so I understood
what was happening.

Questions to answer:

1. Given the content of the essay, why is the title "April Fools on Polar Circus" appropriate?
The title is appropriate because, in 1988, Janet Roddan April Fools day climbing and being on top
of Polar Circus.
2. Roddan writes that "the tango with fear makes me wise." Does it, in your opinion? Provide
phrases that illustrate "the tango with fear." What evidence is there that it makes the climber
"wise"?
Yes, I believe that dancing with fear makes people wise, your senses are heightened, and you
are more aware of your surroundings, causing you to make decisions with more information
than you usually have. One phrase in this story that illustrates this phrase is, "It wraps its fingers
around my heart and squeezed gently," (Roddan, par. 1). The important part of this sentence is
squeezed gently because if the squeeze were hard, then well, I assume you'd be close to death.
But because it says gently, it is more of a reminder that death is around you, just a tease of what
could happen if you are not careful. Another illustration used towards the end is "The ropes pull,
snagging a few times just to remind us that it's not over yet," (Roddan, par. 10). Once more, the
 key words pull and snag are reminders that if the rope snapped, she would most likely die.
However, they are just gentle reminders of what is being risked, that she is indeed dancing with
death and tangoing with fear.
3. Roddan uses two sets of linked images to tell her story: dance imagery and wedding imagery.
Outline the development of these ideas by listing the sentences and phrases that Roddan uses
for each image.

Dance Imagery:
"The dance with fear fascinates me" (par, 1. Line 1)
"It (fear) dances through my body" (par, 1. Line 7)
"The tango with fear makes me wise" (par, 1. Line 11)
"… I articulate the right series of moves, body positions, ice axe and crampon placements to
dance with a frozen tongue of ice" (par, 3. Line 1)
"The rhythm takes hold, and the dance begins again" (par, 5. Line 8)
"The dance becomes a struggle" (par, 6. Line 9)
"The rhythm has been broken" (par, 7. Line 3)

Wedding imagery:
"… like an enormous wedding gown" (par, 6. Line 1)
"Todays brides approach slowly…" (par, 6. Line 2)
"Our vows are strong…" (par, 6. Line 5)
"The final veil is gently torn away" (par, 9. Line 4)
"A happy marriage of fear, sweat, intelligent strength, and smiles" (par, 9. Line 7)
"The silent contract, the ceremony is almost complete" (par, 10. Line 3)
"… married with fear and laughter on Polar Circus…" (par, 11. Line 1)
4. Although this essay tells a story, it is not an example of short fiction. It is, however, a narrative
essay. What characteristics make it narrative? What characteristics make it an essay?
It is a narrative because the author clearly analyzed the significance of the story concerning the
essay's thesis, and the story is non-fiction. It is an essay because it makes and supports a point.
It is also filled with precise detail and is told from a particular point of view. As well, though it
does not have to be, it is written formally with no slang.