At the Mountains of Madness

William Dyer is a professor of geology and the narrator of the novel. As he states in the opening paragraphs, he writes with the purpose of preventing anyone else from following in his footsteps. His book is a warning, but also a confession: He feels responsible for what occurred in Antarctica and is terrified that it will happen again. Part of his terror and part of his confession relate to the futility of his actions. Dyer wants to ensure that no one else will visit Antarctica as he did, but he knows that other people will be as curious, as fascinated, and as arrogant as he once was. Dyer’s confession is that he was tempted by the unknown, and he warns others not to succumb to this typically human temptation.

Dyer prides himself on being a scientist, and this identity makes the discovery in Antarctica particularly challenging for him. He begins the expedition as someone who hopes to make a minor discovery to further his career, but also as someone who understands himself to represent the cutting edge of academia and knowledge in general. His experiences teach him otherwise. For example, he struggles to explain why he continued to explore the tunnels despite the threat of death or violence; he knows that any rational, intelligent man would have left