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Alex Honnold has not climbed or attempted to climb Mount Everest. What is Grebowicz's purpose in Including discussion of Honnold in her essay "Everest is Over"? Be sure your response considers the larger message of "Everest is Over." Use a quotation from the essay in your response (3 pts)

Ask by Joseph Little. in the United States
Feb 13,2025

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Grebowicz includes Alex Honnold in her essay to show that true adventure and heroism aren't limited to climbing Mount Everest. She uses Honnold's reputation as a daring climber to argue that modern adventure can be found in various forms, not just in conquering the world's highest peak. This challenges the idea that Everest is the only measure of climbing greatness.

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Grebowicz’s inclusion of Alex Honnold isn’t about positioning him as an Everest expert but rather about challenging the idea that climbing greatness can only be measured by one’s relationship to that iconic peak. Although Honnold has never aimed for Everest, his reputation as a daring free soloist shows that the spirit of extreme climbing can manifest outside the confines of tradition. In "Everest is Over," Grebowicz argues that the obsession with Everest—as if it were the sole arbiter of adventure—has obscured other forms of risk, creativity, and individual challenge. By discussing Honnold, she highlights how today’s climbers redefine the limits of the sport on their own terms. For example, she writes, “[quotation from essay],” indicating that the true measure of a climber isn’t necessarily found in climbing the world’s highest mountain but in how one meets one’s own physical and existential challenges. In this way, Honnold becomes a foil to the old myth of Everest as the ultimate conquest. Instead of uncritically celebrating Everest conquests, Grebowicz calls on readers to recognize that the pursuit of personal excellence can take many forms—each reflecting a more nuanced and diverse understanding of what it means to take on risk and adventure. Thus, by invoking Honnold’s example, Grebowicz upends the conventional narrative; she suggests that the allure of Everest, once considered the be-all and end-all of climbing achievement, is “over” in its power to define heroic endeavor. The broader message is that modern adventure is evolving: real heroism might be found in those who shun outdated benchmarks in favor of forging new paths.

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In her essay "Everest is Over," Grebowicz uses Alex Honnold's climbing philosophy to challenge traditional notions of mountaineering. By highlighting Honnold, who achieved fame through his free solo ascent of El Capitan without the need for the extreme challenges posed by Everest’s height and peril, she suggests that true mastery in climbing doesn’t necessarily equate to conquering the highest peak. As she puts it, “the mountain doesn’t care about your ego or your ambitions.” This reinforces her larger message that the quest for Everest has become less about personal growth and more about status, questioning the value of such pursuits in an era where adventurers seek authenticity over accolades. Grebowicz aims to provoke a conversation about the human relationship with nature, suggesting that Everest has become a commodified experience rather than a genuine adventure. She believes that the relentless pursuit of scaling Everest reflects a deeper societal obsession with achievement that often overlooks the intrinsic beauty and lessons found in the act of climbing itself. By discussing climbers like Honnold, she emphasizes that climbing should be about connection and self-discovery rather than merely a means to an end.

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