Animal Motifs

Question 1

Quote 1:
“‘She seems sincere,’ Toti said. ‘I can tell you that she is not. You must apply the Lord’s word to her as a whip to a hard-mouthed horse.”

Answer 1

Argument:
The inflexible and oppressive nature of the justice system, prioritizing the maintenance of authority and social order over genuine fairness or the pursuit of truth.
Analysis:
- “whip” - symbol of violence, punishment, and control - reveals the justice system’s harsh, punitive approach, using force rather than understanding or compassion.
- Metaphor of a “hard-mouthed horse” dehumanizes Agnes, reducing her to a stubborn, unmanageable animal that must be controlled through violence rather than a person with dignity and feelings. It reinforces the cruelty of a justice system that prioritizes obedience and authority over treating people with humanity and fairness.
- “lord’s word’ – exploits religion as a means of punishment and rebuke.
Readers are positioned to critique a justice system that is not only punitive but also self-righteous, using religious morality as a means to enforce societal control rather than to offer guidance or mercy.

Question 2

Quote 2:
“Cruel Birds, ravens, but wise. And creatures should be loved for their wisdom if they cannot be loved for kindness.”

Answer 2

Argument:
Society unjustly fears those who possess intelligence and knowledge, leading to unjust treatment and marginalization of those who defy expectations.
Analysis:
- Ravens are often seen as a bad omen, symbolising the approach of death. This highlights the parallel drawn between Agnes and ravens: both are disliked and mistrusted by society. Just as ravens evoke fear due to their association with death, Agnes’ intelligence and insightful nature challenges societal norms and incites unease in those around her.
- “wise” – positive trait that indicates knowledge and insight, yet in 19th century Iceland, female wisdom is met with suspicion and hostility. Rather than being valued, intelligent women are perceived to threaten the patriarchal social order, resulting in their unjust treatment and marginalisation. In contrast, “kindness” reflects a more socially accepted and superficial trait aligning with expectations of female submissiveness and passivity. This highlights how society prefers traits like kindness, which reinforce patriarchal norms, over wisdom, which is seen as dangerous when exhibited by women.
- Additionally, like ravens, who scavenge and survive through any means necessary, Agnes, having been neglected by her mother from a young age and consequently subjected to poverty, was destined to fight for survival. Yet society criticizes both ravens and Agnes, enforcing its superstitious fear of those who deviate from norms. This encourages readers to dispute this belief system and appreciate those who exhibit “wisdom” and intelligence, rather than seeing them as a threat.
Ending Sentence: Reveals a societal tendency to unjustly punish those who defy expectations, ultimately leading to the segregation of individuals like Agnes.

Question 3

Quote 3:
“Why not kill me here, now, on an unremarkable day? It is the waiting that cripples…Rounded up and separated, [the sheep] only have to wait one icy night in fear. I have been in the killing pen for months.”

Answer 3

Argument:
Kent’s use of animal imagery, comparing Agnes to a sheep to underscore her dehumanization and helplessness, critiques the brutal effects of using individuals as symbols of deterrence in a punitive justice system.
Analysis:
- Metaphor comparing Agnes to a sheep in the “killing pen,” - Equating her death to that of an animal, a cold, mechanical act with no recognition of her humanity, demonstrates how Agnes has been reduced to a mere object awaiting death, stripped of human dignity and individuality.
- Aligning herself with a sheep, an animal which is herded, controlled, and made to follow a predetermined path, reflects how the justice system has deprived Agnes of her agency, leaving her powerless and forced to conform.
- “cripples” – debilitating and immobilising - illustrates the profound effect that waiting has on Agnes’ mental state. It reveals how the passage of time is wielded as a form of punishment, critiquing a justice system which not only seeks to punish through death but also through the crippling anticipation of that death.
- Rhetorical question as why she is not killed on an “unremarkable day”- the justice system is using Agnes as an example, underscoring the consequences of transgressing against the law and social order as a means to instil fear in others and reinforce the importance of obedience to societal norms.

Question 4

“At Hvammur, during the trial, they plucked at my words like birds. Dreadful birds, dressed in red with breasts of silver buttons, and cocked heads and sharp mouths, looking for guilt like berries on a bush…Everything I said was taken from me and altered until the story wasn’t my own.”

Answer 4

Argument:
How truth can be manipulated and distorted to serve the political motivations of authoritative bodies, in order to uphold social structures.
Analysis:
- Metaphor comparing the authorities to birds presents the officials as scavengers, pecking at Agnes’ words without care for their authenticity, reflecting their predatory and demeaning approach to Agnes’s testimony.
- Simile likening their search for guilt to looking for berries on a bush – emphasises the superficial and mechanical nature of their quest, driven more by a desire to condemn rather than a genuine pursuit of truth.
- “Pluck” – selective and deliberate - authorities carefully choose which parts of Agnes’ story to focus on and which to distort, thereby controlling the truth to fit their agenda and validate their preconceived notions of Agnes’ guilt.
- “wasn’t my own” - underscores how her voice and agency are systemically stripped away, allowing those in power to create their version of the truth. This manipulation reflects the broader societal structure where the lower classes, like Agnes, are rendered voiceless, their narratives rewritten to maintain existing social hierarchies.
- The birds’ “red” clothing and “silver buttons” symbolise their wealth and power, a stark contrast to Agnes’ lower social standing, illustrating how the justice system uses its authority to distort the truth, ensuring those like Agnes remain marginalised and powerless.