Summary and Response-A View from Mount Ritter

Summary

A View from Mount Ritter, written by Joseph T. O’Connor adapted from Newsweek, describes how the author gains a quite new thought toward life after experiencing an unforgettable trip climbing up Mount Ritter in California. In the second week of their trip, the author started to feel frustrated and disagreeable to climb up the mountain because the weather became pretty harsh. Rain fell torrentially after the sky was overcast because of the gloomy clouds; huge hailstones dropped from the sky while thunder roared loudly. There was also lightning striking in front of them in a very close distance.

With continuing efforts and persistence, he finally arrived at the top and saw the perfect match of sun and clouds with his eyes. Most importantly, the marvelous scene made him start to face his past and ponder his life in the future. In the following semesters, he made efforts on his study and entered the college which is near the mountain he had climbed in the end.

Having experiencing tough and gratification through the trip, the author had the opportunity to rethink about his life and apprehended what he had to do at the moment. He deeply understood that after suffering pains, success is so precious.


Response

After reading the article, the first part impressing me most is the description of words author uses. To describe natural scenes, the author uses vivid words and sentences. These words allow us the readers to “hear” and “see” what happened. We seem to appreciate the real pictures in front of our eyes and experience the atmosphere and feeling at that moment. I learn that when I write a story or article, I should try my best to let readers almost undergo the situation.

The second part, which is worth deep thought, is the sentence written by Jonathan Harker and the author quotes, “No man knows ‘till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.” At first of the trip, the author was a little annoyed and upset when he climbed up the mountain in addition of the harsh weather; however, his attitude changed immediately after he stood on the top of the mountain and marveled at the magnificent scene. Besides, he had the opportunity to ponder his following life and future and lived conscientiously at the moment.

I deeply understand the author’s feeling because I also have the similar experience in my four-year life studying in music gifted class in junior high school and the first year of high school. I was very frustrated and unhappy in the four years because I did not like the life. There was too much pressure to me. These four years is the most unbearable period in my whole life. After I made up my mind choosing to transfer to another school, I knew that everything is not so bad as I thought. There is still a cheerful and hopeful life waiting for me to find out. Because of the suffering and sorrow I had ever had, I can fully realize how the life is precious now.

Summary and Reaction - A View From Mt. Ritter

Summary:

The author had gone to California for mountain expedition for two weeks. The weather was very good in first week. But there was a storm coming in so fast they didn’t notice on Tuesday of week two. Their guide, Ethan, had said that it is best not to be there when it rains and suddenly a bolt of lightning struck a tree which is not far away from them. With the lightning dying down, they tried to get to the shelter and pray for rain to subside but nothing comes out as they plan. So the author and his friend, Mike, decided to challenge the knee-deep water with not-so waterproof equipment. Because of raining lasting all day, they found a drier place and construct their tent at night. But while rain poured down and a small stream flow into their tent, they kept awake all night.

Actually, the first paragraph is the author’s memory. All of this happened last summer; the author attended a mountaineering program because he wanted to challenge himself. This experience impressed him so much. For the first time, his head was crystal clear suddenly.

This experience enlightened the author on thought of future. “What had he been doing for the last three years?” the author said to himself. The author thought if he always follows his parents’ or teacher’s suggestion, he would not grow up. He was just like a typical teen who always thinks that he can do well without preparation. But stubbornness and rebellion will be terrible if they get out of control. The last year in high school, the author chose to clear his head and buckle down. At last, he is on the right track. Now he feels new born and he is a new person.

Eventually, he said that Jonathan Harker wrote in his journal:“No man knows ‘till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.”




Response:


At the beginning, the author flashbacks the article and uses a lot of vivid adjectives to let readers feel they were on the spot. This experience influences the author so much. It makes a confused teenager transform into a man who will think about future seriously.

For us, it is important to experience everything ourselves now. Where is the future? This is a serious question. In the confusing age, we always do not know what I should do for the future. Should we study constantly or try to learn a professional skill? We always learn theories in class but do not know how to use it without experiencing in reality. In the article, the author decided to attend a program which he never did that. This decision is important for the author because maybe that is the first time he try to decide it himself.

Parents cannot always protect their children and make decisions for them all the time. Let them try to decide some things themselves. Their own decision will give them positive power to do their best. Give them confidence is our responsibility. If they fail it, try to comfort them and tell them that is necessary process. People are comparative animals. If they did not know what the feeling of failure is, they also did not know what the feeling of success is. Do not be afraid of our decision. Try to make a decision yourself, and do your best. Maybe one decision will change your life.

Do not be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success. If you do it constantly, you will succeed one day.

summary and reponse of A View from Mount Ritter

Summary:

The article, A View from Mount Ritter, is written by Joseph T. O’Connor. In it, the author tells an event that alters his attitude to his life. He describes the event first, and then explains his feeling at that time. Finally, he reflects on the importance of the event.
The author uses conversation to express his two-week long mountain journey in northeastern California and specific words to show how the event impressed him. The uncommon thing happened on second-week Tuesday. The weather changed in every minute. Before they found a shelter, the lightening struck closely to the author. As he tried to evade the lightening, the hailstones dropped around him. Then, the all day long pouring rain let author experience his worst night building their tents in cold and darkness and stay awake all night.
When he recalled his two-week trip in California, it’s still quite clear in his mind. He thought it as his most unforgettable and impressive adventure. The journey also changed his perspective to his later life.
The author uses some quotes to explain the significance of his expedition. In the past, he did not have a goal about his life. He refused to accept others suggestions. Later, he found he was wrong before and agreed what others said. He decided to work hard and reach his goal to attend the college in California.
Because of his adventure in California, he gained new ways to view his life. He began to work hard. He realized the importance of his later life and knew to cherish it until he had suffered in his journey.

Response:

The author A View from Mount Ritter uses vivid and specific adjectives to describe his expedition on the top of Mount Ritter. It makes me feel that I am like in the same situation as him and experience the terrible night. By his detailed description, I can easily picture the image about what he had faced in the two-week long journey. He clearly tells how close the lightening was going to strike him at that moment. Also, how unobvious for them to recognize the change of the weather. He effectively uses conversation to increase the fluctuation of the event.
Then, he tells us his feeling at that time. As he recalls the journey, he finds the cause of his worst night because that people might easily forget to take natural conversion into consideration. On the other hand, the event also stimulates him strongly and changes his attitude to his later life.
Finally, he uses quotes and examples to express the significance of the event. Most of teenagers might also undergo similar period of time like the author. When people were young, they pretend they are mature enough to make a decision. They ignore the suggestions and lesson that elder people have told them. Either parents or teachers try to tell them the smoothest road. I strongly agree the quote written by Jonathan Harker in his journal. It says, “No man knows ‘till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.” In our daily life, we tend to regard people around us and things we own as air. We easily forget to appreciate them until one day we lose them. However, we don’t have to suffer similar situation like him to realize that we should cherish people surround us. We can learn this lesson from the article and begin to put it into practice right now.

Summary and Reaction: A View From Mt. Ritter

Joseph T. O’Connor, the man who once participated in a mountain expedition for two weeks, enlightened by an unforgettable predicament. This experience made him reconsider about his life and turn over a new leaf.

  It was on Tuesday of the second week in July when the weather changed swiftly from clear sky to horrible thunderstorm. Confronting this situation, Joseph and his teammate started finding for a place to hide. Under the interlacing of close thunder and relentless rain, they arrived in the shelter of nearby redwoods and putted on rain gear. Nevertheless, he and Mike, one of the expeditioner, came to realize they were standing on a small island surrounded by raging stream. They walked through the stream with caution; every step was a hard one.

  The downfall had not stopped through the day. Before they could find an appropriate spot to set up camp, the sky was already dark. The worst night is coming: they had to build their tent in the dark and spent all night in their wet sleeping bags with a small stream flew through the tent. The next early morning, he finally able to embrace the sun with it glanced over the sparkle summit. He deeply awakened himself to the awareness of following life and he had done in the past.

  This experience changed his perspective; he thought that he was too proud and unsociable, which had made many follies over past years. Consequently, He decided to go back to the right track, working hard on his schoolwork and making meaningful plan for the future.

Response:

I am especially sympathized with the quotation the author cited from one of Bram stocker’s journals: “No man knows ‘till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to heart and eye the morning can be.” For me, the sentence expresses not only how people behave pathetically toward things they had already take for granted, but emphasize the significance of a harsh challenge.

There is an example best substantiate the truth of this philosophy. It was an unforgettable day in September 21, 1999. In the midnight, when everyone was sleeping, a fierce power struck us abruptly. It intensity awakened me. Although I was not very sober, the moment I opened my eye and watched the sight in front of me, I came to realize it was an unprecedented earthquake. I was trying to wake my family, but only in vain. Feeling panic and helpless, I quickly opened the door and went back to hid myself in to the sheet. It was no sooner the relentless force stopped than the electric appliances were totally dead. Fortunately, our house remained steady, and my families were all safe. In order to cope with possible aftershock, we went out of the house. It was an abnormal cold night, we saw few people also stood outside, walked around. There were no conversation; the scene was like a silent film, you didn’t hear anything, but you can understand what they’re thinking. To prevent my sister and I from catching cold, my father started his car and let us slept inside. As the sky became bright, we went back to the house and had a breakfast. All of a sudden, the earthquake came again, although not as long as in the midnight, it was also a horrible one.

Several days after, we knew from the TV that a huge amount of building collapses as well as casualties. The news was sad, yet gave me a deep influence toward life. This event was the foundation of the transformation of my perspective. I found there are more lovely and meaningful things than I had thought. In addition, I became more aggressive toward my schoolwork; after all, no one knows what I will face in the next moment, the best thing I could do is to appreciate what I have right now.

Summary and Response for "A View From Mt. Ritter"

Summary:

It was a memory about the author’s expedition. The author was on mountain climbing in California. The weather was good but it turned bad on Tuesday of second week. Suddenly, a thunderstorm came rapidly and rained heavily. The water was big enough to flow together as a little river, isolating the author and one of his companions from a small island. After struggling for a while, they successfully escaped from the island and found a place to set up their camp and kept waiting until the thunderstorm stopped.

This memory lets the author know that the Mother Nature is hard to estimate. This unforgettable memory gives the author a thought into his brain about the life after school. He thinks that he is a brave teenager, considering that he can do anything without anyone’s help. But finally he knows that if he can awake from his follies, he will have a clear vision to fly higher and farther.

At the final year in high school, the author finally gets good grades. He feels that his mind is clear and knows that he has to work hard to get what he wants.

Response:

Learning is not the only way of life; if you find something meaningful and achieve it, you will feel that your mental develop and become mature while facing problems.

This summer vacation, a friend of mine and I rode a bike to Wu-ling(武嶺). We first day set out from Pu-li and arrived Ching-Jing farm for rest, and we achieved Wu-ling at the second day. It was a very stunning experience because Wu-ling is the highest point of all roads in Taiwan. The distance from Pu-li to Wu-ling is about fifty kilometers but the altitude rises up to 3275 meters high. It is a little bit difficult for cars to drive, not to mention a bike driven by manpower.

In this experience, I learn that no matter how difficult the obstacles we face, we will finally defeat them if we keep up working with a strong will. Although the route is difficult, with slopes that are long and steep. We could also go back at the time we felt it was hard to continue, but we decided to keep going and finally achieve it. When we arrived with exhausted body, the feeling was not fatigue but a sense of achievement.

Learning and achieving something meaningful have a mutual effect to each other. We can accomplish more things with the experience from learning and achieving things. When we enter the working field in the future, those experiences will be useful tools for us.