1.2 The Telegram Flashcards
Plot
A fat woman and thin woman are drinking tea discussing their sons when they see an elder carrying a Telegram
As the elder gets closer, both women think the Telegram is for them
The elder then walks past the house as the Telegram was for him and the fat woman has respect for the thin woman as she didn’t cry
Imagery
“fat domestic bird” suggests fat woman is lazy and lacks independence like other villagers
“more gaunt, or, to be precise, more like a buzzard” suggests she is more ambitious to do something in life
Isolation/alienation
“foreigner” suggests the thin woman is viewed like she isn’t part of the village despite living there for 30 years
“an incomer from another village” suggests that no matter how long she has lived here, she will never belong in the village community
Individuality vs Conformity
“foreigner” suggests the thin woman is perceived differently by the villagers which adds to her individuality of standing out
“lived in the village all her days; she was a native” suggests the fat woman is deeply rooted in the village and conforms to the expectations of it
Setting
“bare village with little colour” suggests the dullness of the village has an emotionally dead atmosphere
“village appeared quiet” suggests there is an emptiness and lack of connection amongst the community during the war
Grief
“Walking like a man in a daze” suggests the trauma and shock of elder when finding out his son died
“A telegram directed to himself” suggests the telegram was like a missile towards the elder
“a somnambulistic wandering” suggests elder is sleepwalking, emphasising the shock he has experienced
Understanding/realisation
“And at that moment the fat woman saw” suggests she suddenly understands the thin woman’s difficult life
“it was as if she had an extra vision” suggests the fat woman’s realisation makes her now view the thin woman with respect
Symbol
“It came on them like a strange plague” suggests the telegram symbolises sickness and death along with it
“a strange missile pointed at them from abroad” suggests the telegram symbolises a weapon which brings devastation to families it hits
