Character+Sketch

Character Sketch: When **__you__** take a step back and examine Dave Conroy’s character from “A Mountain Journey”, it’s obvious that he is a very dynamic character with many diverse traits. Though he is the only charac ter th is short story by Howard O-Hagan, Dave Conroy is able to make an enemy out his surroundings, himself, and his situation because of his impatience to get back home. The protagonist’s impatience leads him to make the irrational and eventually fatal decision to cross a thawing river (pg. 93). His impatience also causes him to ignore his intuition, telling him to stop and make camp near a dry comforting tree (pg. 92), and to continue traveling until the sun sets. As one reads the story, they may assume that Dave Conroy doesn’t make the smartest decisions because of his impatience. Although this is accurate, his impatience also causes him to be very hardworking. Conroy was always looking for the quickest way to get home, no matter how strenuous the route was, and was always pushing to fit another hour of traveling into his day before he set up camp. He is also hardworking in other ways. For example, the fact that he spent several days collecting pelts and cross-country skiing throughout a mountain suggests that Conroy is a focused and hardworking provider for his family. Overall, I think Dave Conroy’s most important trait in this story is his ability to overlook the truth. This eventually becomes his biggest weakness throughout the story. For example, on page 93, Dave Conroy chooses not to warm up his fingers after he falls into the river. He tells himself his fingers are not frozen, when all of the literal evidence tells the reader that Conroy's fingers are on the brink of freezing. Many times throughout the story, Dave Conroy makes irrational, unreasonable and potentially deadly decisions, and rationalizes them by telling himself that he will be okay or that someone will find him. For example, during the climax of the story, Dave Conroy decides to rest during his fight to reach MacMoran’s cabin. He tells himself that he will only rest for a short minute, then keep hiking, when it is inevitable that if he sits down, he will probably not be able to get back up. Once he realizes he will not be able to keep traveling, he rests calmly, assuming someone from MacMoran's cabin will find him. By taking a closer look at a character, one is able to see what characteristics they posses and how their characteristics can help or hurt them. Though Dave Conroy's impatience did make him more efficient, it also made him less careful, and less thorough when choosing a route. His impatience, and his ability to overlook the truth eventually led his death. This short story shows the reader that when it comes to seemingly meaningless decisions, it is important to make sure one is making the right decision.

Excellent work Erin! 6/6

6/6 Erin was very descriptive and clearly represented her opinion. She used unique ideas and found character traits that were perfect for Dave Conroy.

Lindsay Cole and Erin Skinnider