A Word Choice

Question 1

“Dwarf”

Answer 1

• in this context, has derogatory or insulting connotations (“the dwarf” dehumanises him)
• demeans the beggar and suggests he is disgusting

Question 2

“Hands on backwards”

Answer 2

• Connotationsofdeformityandawkwardness, showing how his disabilities make everyday life harder for him
• this emphasises the physical ugliness of the dwarf and sets the reader up for the way the priest and tourists ignore him

Question 3

“Sat, slumped”

Answer 3

alliteration and onomatopoeia (“slumped”) used to emphasises the limp posture and dishevelled appearance of the beggar, suggesting he is helpless due to his terrible deformities

Question 4

“Tiny twisted legs”

Answer 4

Alliteration emphasises that the beggar’s body is limp and deformed and perhaps suggests that those around him view him as internally corrupt based on his appearance

Question 5

“Yet”

Answer 5

• Contributes to the mockingly/darkly humorous
tone.
• Comments darkly on whether the beggar, in his
misfortune, would be better off dead