76 pages • 2 hours read
Peak
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Symbols & Motifs
Peak’s Tag
Peak stencils a blue mountain tag on the skyscraper just before he is arrested. He refers to the compulsion to tag as a bit of mystery and implies that the world does not have enough mystery in it. Though Peak may not be aware of the impulse that leads him to tag the skyscrapers, the tag symbolizes his aspirations to be a world-class climber and reconnect with his father, as well as his feeling of loss at having to move to New York and leave his old life behind. It is therefore key to themes of both Passion Versus Obsession and Fatherhood’s Meaning.
Peak’s practice of tagging the skyscrapers he climbs is emblematic of a climber placing their flag on a mountaintop, a completely acceptable act in climbing culture. In an urban context, however, it is antiauthoritarian: Peak wants a life he cannot have, and in trying to create a life that includes extreme climbing, he breaks the law and becomes indirectly responsible for another young person’s death.
In a broader sense, the tag symbolizes the urge that anyone can feel to make a mark on the world, to prove that they were here. It is similar to the prayer flag that Peak gives to Sun-jo on the summit and to the flagpole that Sun-jo plants at the top of Everest. They leave evidence that shows they existed, and they tried to do something that few people will ever experience.
The Boulder
At the novel’s beginning, the boulder in the road is a clear symbol of the various obstacles that must be overcome in the story. Peak must overcome his impulsiveness if he is going to stay out of legal trouble and return to a normal life in New York. He must overcome his need for Josh’s validation and, in the process, stop chasing an impossible goal. Peak must also overcome his competitiveness and desire to win at all costs. The moment of transformation arrives when Peak helps Sun-jo reach the summit first, signaling that he has put aside his ego and sees life as a big picture rather than as a series of triumphs and failures.
Other characters must also overcome obstacles. Sun-jo must overcome his financial circumstances if he is going to go back to school and not enter the dangerous life of a Sherpa. Zopa must find a way to evade the Chinese authorities and get Sun-jo safely to the top. The broader political context also involves significant obstacles: If relations with China and Tibet are to improve, barriers that have existed for centuries must be deconstructed. As the novel ends, the boulder is gone, showing that the novel takes an optimistic view as far as the possibility of change.
Everest
Mount Everest plays a key role in the story. It is a symbol of mortality, the adventurous human spirit, and ferociously inhospitable nature. It also shows that human beings have a need to conquer. The mountain is unpredictable and violent. It is larger than life, and yet, occasionally, people reach its summit. Zopa also presents it as having a sort of sentience and volition, as he says that it is hard to tell who the mountain will allow to step onto its summit. The mountain can also be seen as evidence of how crucial it can be to have a plan in order to avoid disaster in one’s life. And even with the proper plan, adaptability may ultimately prove to be a more useful trait than the ability to strategize.
Throughout the novel, the group’s plans for the climb are in a constant state of flux. The weather, dangerous terrain, political concerns, illness, and the limits of physical exertion all dictate whether an individual can make the climb. Reaching the top is considered such an achievement precisely because so many barriers and uncertainties must be overcome to achieve this. While this is the case for Western tourists, the Sherpas accomplish these climbs routinely, showing the vast differences in the mountain’s cultural perception.
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By Roland Smith
