Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read l Summary & Study Guide (7 page)

Faith

Faith enabled the survivors and
their families to persevere. Faith in this novel was bidirectional- the
parents, siblings and girlfriends had faith in the survivors and the survivors
had faith that their loved ones wouldn't give up the search. All parents wish
to protect their children. It is natural to assume that the parent will watch
the child grow and that the parent will die before the child. While some
parents were afraid to hold out hope, there were others who held on fiercely to
the belief that their children were alive. Some talked about having strong
feelings, which enhanced their convictions. Senora
Valeta
had dreams about her son that were later discovered to be quite accurate. When
the parents felt that the Uruguayan government failed them by ending the search
after just eight days, the parents took matters into their own hands. They
visited a clairvoyant, asked for help from
a water
diviner, petitioned the government repeatedly for help and eventually chartered
planes to search when others refused to do so. Some of the parents, most
notably the
Strauch
relatives,
Paez
Vilaro
, Jorge
Zerbino
and
Luis
Surraco
, actively participated in the search
effort. Not only did the survivors believe in their rescuers, they also
believed in themselves. In fact, after overhearing a radio report that the
search had been called off, one survivor exclaimed "There's some good
news.... it means we're going to get out of here on our own." The
teammates had faith in each other. When it was decided that a few strong men
should venture out for help, the others supported the chosen few. They gave
them extra food, clothing, rest and moral support. There was no question that
those who set out would arrive safely- the others' lives depended on it.
Lastly, the survivors had faith in God.

Style

Perspective

Alive is written from a detached
perspective. From the sections titled Dedication and Acknowledgments the reader
is aware that the book was a collaboration of sorts. The author, Paul Read,
thoroughly researched the events and directly contacted the survivors to hear
their stories. Read incorporates conversations among the survivors as well as
talk among the parents during their search. While some of the chatter might
have come from the recollections of those involved, it is likely that some
dialogue was created. This is not said to minimize the validity of the dialog
in the story. Indeed these discussions were important in portraying the
interrelationships and feelings among the many characters. The author admits
that he was given free reign when writing and resisted the temptation to
fictionalize the story, but the book is not truly biographical. Read's purpose
in writing this book, and the survivors' reason for cooperating, was to
separate truth from rumor. Rather than allow the media to fabricate what they
had experienced, the survivors hoped to honor those lost and voice their
courage.
 

Tone

Alive reads easily and moves
well. It is best described as an historical account of the events surrounding
the crash. It is set in the year 1972, and accurately depicts life in South
America at that time. The book includes some information with regards to the
politics of the time to help the reader understand the objectives as well as
the limitations of the government and its agencies. It also includes some
discussion about religion to help the reader better understand the characters.
The author does a great job of framing such complex subjects within the context
of the story. This ensures that the tone is not heavy, pushy or overtly biased.
Instead, throughout their time in the cordillera, the rest of the world and its
problems seemed to be non-existent, while the characters focused on survival
and helping each other. Surviving in the Andes
mountains
was extremely difficult, yet the author did not write with an ominous tone. He
was very matter of fact about the events that transpired. The author remained
non-judgmental. This was accomplished through the use of objective writing.
Adjectives and adverbs were used sparingly when describing people and their
choices, but used heavily when setting the scene.

Structure

Alive is structured in an
organized way; however, it lacks traditional chapters. The author includes a
dedication written by the survivors, an area for acknowledgments, a list of
illustrations, an introduction, and fifteen sections (each with multiple
subsections). The acknowledgments are useful in gaining insight with regards to
the author's perspective. The illustrations included in the book lend a sense
of realism, which gives way to the awe that real people suffered and survived
the ordeal. The introduction is captivating and tells just enough to capture
the reader's interest. The individual sections are put together more by the
occurrence of important events than by chronology. Sections relating to the parents'
search alternate with sections dedicated to the survivors' struggle. With the
exception of some historical and educational background, the whole novel takes
place in a span of just three months (the date of the flight's departure
through the interviews following the survivors' return).

Quotes

"It was as if the torrid
vastness of Brazil to the north and the muddy waters of the River Plate to the
south and west acted not only as natural barriers but as a protective shell in
a cocoon of time." page 19

The interests they had in common,
besides rugby and business, were cars and girls, and it was this which had
gained them the reputation of playboys." page 29

"Are you cowards or
what?" page 33

"I want them to read
'Forty-five Uruguayans cross the cordillera at all costs.'
"
pg
33

"Nothing broke the
monotonous ascent of these brittle mountains except snow." pg 35

"Out into the icy air fell
the steward, the navigator, and their pack of cards, followed by three of the
boys still trapped to their seats." pg 38

"'Tie that up with a shirt
and I'll see to it later.'
" pg
43

"Identify yourself." pg
49

"Then her mind wandered and
she sang a nursery rhyme." pg 50

"
Canessa
,
though he had studied medicine for a year longer than
Zerbino
,
could not bring himself to say that someone was definitely dead." pg 52

"'Don't you realize that
you're playing with our lives?'
" pg
62

"'You can't climb mountains
on a little piece of chocolate and a sip of wine.'
" pg
65

"The warmth and the movement
of breathing- both were gone." pg 68

"'The souls have left their
bodies and are in heaven with God.'
" pg
83

"He felt triumphant. His
conscience had overcome a primitive, irrational taboo. He was going to
survive." pg 86

"As a scalpel he had a
choice between a piece of broken glass
or
a razor
blade." pg 92

"Then, just as his lungs
were about to explode, the snow was scraped from his face." pg 121

"This system, like a good
constitution, was fair in theory and flexible enough to allow for the weakness
of human nature, but the burden fell on those who either could not or would not
work." pg 138

"They drove Roy on until it
came to a point that he no longer responded to either oath or insult." pg
210

"The fire died down.
The sun set.
And with these pleasant thoughts in their
minds, the two bloated boys fell asleep." pg 263

Topics for
Discussion

How were the boys schooled?

The boys took pride in their
team. Discuss how they exemplified team spirit.

On page thirty-five,
foreshadowing can be heard in the girl's quote about
Argentinian
planes. Extrapolate on her comments and their relevance.

Liliana
and Javier make a wonderful
couple. On page 101, they share a particularly poignant exchange. What is the
driving force behind
Liliana's
actions?

Describe the scene by the River
Azufre
.

Discuss the underlying politics
of South America at the time of the plane crash.

Canessa
and
Parrado
traveled a long way in their climb. Were there any alternative routes?

There were a few passengers
trained in rudimentary medicine. Who were they and what were they capable of?

Compare and contrast any two
passengers described in the book.

Examine the
survivors
integration back into society. Was it easy or difficult? Why was this so?