"one Mile of Pain" one Mile of Ice Short Story Analysis

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to disregard life and limb over. In the text Ralph believes not being there for his family is something worth dying over. Ironically through Ralph’s attempts to neglect the warnings and take care of his family, he left them alone forever without him. This irony forces the reader to question the benefits of a masculine pride to rush to the safety of one’s family over a leveled head consideration of how to protect one’s family. The foreshadowing of danger gives greater insight into the point of view and allows the reader to explore the necessity of fear to survive, and the destructiveness of masculine pride.

The third person limited point of view gives insights towards the role of fear and pride within our lives. It is stated that people from the country are unlike the people from the city due to their “ways aren’t the ways of those from the city”. Despite this the similarities between Pete and Ralph’s reactions to the night extends beyond their concern for the brandy bottle. Similarly to Ralph, Pete goes on the journey and disregards the fear coming from the cold, and instead he fears that “he would change his mind” and that he would look like a coward in front of Ralph. Pete is pushed into the position of either keeping true with the standard masculine traits of comradeship and control over one’s fear, or resigning to give up his pride for and live a bit longer. The importance of standing by one’s friends is a standard we are pushed to, and facilitates loyalty and how we treat one another. Through the comradeship of Pete leading to Ralph continuing into the darkness, and resulting in the disfigurement and death of both of them, Garner may be suggesting that the tradition of blind loyalty can lead to blind foolishness. Pride convincing Pete to stay with Ralph is replaced with the fear of dying when Pete realizes they are lost; Ralph becomes an afterthought, and instead Pete is filled with “an urge to live.” When confronted with death from losing his cap we see just how far fear can change us. Fear can make us do strange things, even neglect the rules we all follow in society; stealing is almost never considered just, but at the point of death can a thief really be judged. Through the point of view of Pete garner shows us that although the rest of society may forgive someone in Pete’s scenario, someone like Pete will never forgive himself. The pride we have towards our actions shows how one would have to be “crazed” to disregard the life of another in an attempt to save one’s own. Ralph’s gaze upon Pete, and Pete’s questioning of whether or not Ralph bore hatred for him when he died shows a masculine pride turned to rubble when Pete accepted the fear. This is continued through Pete’s inability to help Ralph’s family; not only is his physically crippled; he is mentally crippled by the fear.

Fear and pride influence us in many ways; this can be seen in the short story “One Mile of Ice” by Hugh Garner through his use of Characterization foreshadowing and point of view. We don’t always have control over our actions, and sometimes we shouldn’t want to have control. The pride our societies push on us and the fear of death and cowardice can lead us to see and do things in ways that not only put us in danger, but also puts us into situations that can hurt the ones we love. The masculine stereotypes in particular to reject fear can lead to rash decisions; there is a reason we experience fear, it is there to protect us. Sometimes we must accept our fears; although society might judge us, one must respect winter or “lightning or fire or high places.”