Part 1, Chapters 5 and 6 Summary and Analysis

It is in this chapter that Krakauer's story changes direction. In previous chapters, he has shared with his reader the ways of life in the Mormon society. He has also noted the Mormon men's desire for ultimate control of the females as well as the emphasis on female submission. Krakauer has told the numerous ways the women are abused in these polygamous communities and the reasons why they stay in these relationships. He has even contrasted the public opinion of the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart to the treatment of Mormon girls who are raised in the same way Elizabeth was on a daily basis. In Chapter 5, Krakauer indicates that he will try to describe the faith that causes Fundamentalist Mormons to commit terrible crimes such as murder.

In Chapter 5, Krakauer first points out how strongly those who...