Assisi Flashcards
What are the main themes of Assisi?
How we treat those around us.
Isolation.
S1 - “hands on backwards”
Picture of beggar is grotesque, hardly human and emphasises beggar’s terrible condition.
S1 - “sat slumped like a half-filled sack”
Simile suggests that the beggar can barely support his own frame.
Alliteration and sibilance makes the image more vivid and shocking.
S1 - “he had the advantage of not being dead yet”
Creates a bitter, angry tone to suggest that being alive is the only thing in beggar’s favour.
S1 - “yet”
Final word - has a sinister effect, suggesting that the beggar will not survive this pitiful way of life for much longer.
S2 - “illiterate”
Word choice.
Suggests people unable to read but also seems as if the priest thinks people are beneath him.
S2 - “I understood the explanation and the cleverness”
Hypocrisy of church is revealed through actions of priest.
Priests are supposed to be humble and compassionate but this priest is neither - intelligence without kindness has no value.
S3 - “rush”
Word choice.
Suggests eagerness to see art and reveals lack of interest in beggar outside.
S3 - “fluttered after him”
MacCaig uses metaphor to compare tourists to a flock of mindless chickens clucking after priest with dumb, blind obedience.
S3 - “they”
Word choice.
Separates tourists from MacCaig - he feels different to them because they have very different attitudes towards beggar.
S3 - “ruined temple”
Compared to dwarf - body is temple and beggar has become ruined because of neglect of other humans who have not cared for him.
S3 - “Grazie”
Word choice.
Ironically, despite awfulness of his situation, the single word he speaks is ‘thank you’.
Instead of being bitter he is grateful for any small amount of kindness shown to him.
S1 - “dwarf”
Word choice.
Beggar is small, stunted and unattractive.
