Prologue Summary and Analysis

In the prologue to his book, writer Jon Krakauer gives the details of the murders of Erica and Brenda Lafferty. Two brothers, Dan and Ron Lafferty, are arrested and charged in connection with the murders. Dan is condemned to life in prison while Ron is given a death sentence. Although they admit to committing the crimes, neither Dan nor Ron believe their acts were wrong. They believe instead they were carrying out the will of God. Krakauer tells his reader that in the course of his book, he intends to try to explain the circumstances that lead to such gruesome acts being committed by men in the name of God.

Krakauer uses his prologue as an opportunity to describe the factual details of the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty. Included in the information he presents is the timeline of the...