Herzog’s description of his ascent of the
Annapurna is clearly directed towards the western reader. As he progresses
through previously undiscovered parts of the Himalayas, the mountaineer
compares the Himalayan mountain range to the Alps: “the ridge narrowed and put
us in mind of our own splendid Chamonix aiguilles.” (77) Herzog, in comparing
the Asian mountain range to the European one, writes from a western
imperialistic standpoint. I can’t help but compare Maurice Herzog’s Annapurna to Christopher Columbus’s Letter on The First Voyage. Although
Herzog demonstrates a stronger sense of respect towards the Sherpa and other
inhabitants of the Himalayas, his narrative nonetheless can sometimes appear to
be pretentious.
The mountaineer further reasserts this
idea of western supremacy as he, along with his team starts naming newly
discovered land. The western mountaineers demonstrate a sense of entitlement as
they decide to name a pass the “Pass of April 27.” (70) The mountaineers’ necessity
to name passes, picks or other valleys in the Himalayas is problematic. They
act similarly to Columbus who in the 15th century took possession of
the Americas and started christening the conquered land without any regards
towards the native populations.
Today, Christopher Columbus’ discovery of
the Americas is highly criticized, however, Maurice Herzog remains an untouchable
hero in the western world. It makes me wonder when an outsider has the
authority to name a place? When does someone get ownership of a place? Can
Herzog’s naming be accepted because he was the first person to set foot in the
area, colonizing the land but not the people?
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