Away Flashcards
“I can hardly see”
Said by: Gwen
Context: Gwen has a headache
Thematic idea: Gwen’s superficiality and pessisim, she can’t see the nightmare she’s become due to her trauma, she lacks insight
Techniques: Metaphor
“And Robin shall restore amends”
Said by: Tom
Context: Tom recite’s Puck’s soliloquy in AMND
Thematic idea: Tom’s role in transformation and healing, aligns Tom with Puck
Techniques: Foreshadowing, allusion
“Coral stares at her for a moment then looks away.” “Coral, doesn’t respond”
Context: Gwen tries to make conversation with Coral
Thematic idea: completely detached from reality, she is too afraid to be present in the moment because then she has to face her grief
Techniques: Stage Direction
“Oh it was marvellous. Wasn’t it a lovely show?”
Said by: Vic
Context: after watching school play
Thematic idea: her optimism in reaction to the play contrasts Gwen’s pessimism, represents migrants who are very optimistic
Techniques: juxtaposition
“We’ve got a new caravan. Everything in it you could want.” “A lean-to?”
Said by: Gwen
Context: talking to Harry and Vic about their holiday
Thematic idea: reveals her focus on material goods & middle-class aspirations
Technique: snobby & condescending tone
“Some people may be happy living like pigs but I’m not.”
Said by: Gwen
Context: Talking about Harry and Vic
Thematic idea: she compares lower-class people to pigs, dehumanises them
Technique: simile
“It was money. It was bread. Work.”
Said by: Jim
Context: talking about Great Depression
Thematic Idea: emphasises poverty & desperation and importance of money & work during the Great Depression, got through one day at a time
Technique: truncated sentences
“We all did it… We lived in rubbish tips. We shared rooms with other people… We planned our time. We waited.”
Said by: Jim
Context: talking about Great Depression
Thematic Idea: Jim & Gwen represent generation who lived through trauma & desperation of Great Depression
Technique: anaphora of “we”
“There is a price that has to be paid, of course. And we should all be prepared to pay it. That’s if we’re prepared to enjoy this high standard of living.”
Said by: Coral
Context: Talking to Leonie
Thematic idea: she is trying to convince herself the sacrifice of her son was worth it and manifest her illusion into reality, sacrifice of her generation
Technique: idiom, repetition
“Fake Christmas tree”
Context: Gwen, Jim, and Meg’s Christmas ritual
Thematic idea: superficial nature of their ritual, symbolic of pretending to have a good time, illusion vs reality
Technique: Props, symbolism
“A boy like you… talk… talk to me… say something… laugh…”
Said by: Coral
Context: Talking to Rick
Thematic idea: Illusion vs Reality - pretending Rick is her son, there is the illusion of love & connection but it’s not real, Coral’s grief
Technique: Ellipsis, desperate tone, parallels AMND when Tatania falls in love with the first person she sees (Bottom)
“The uniform would have fitted you like a glove.”
Said by: Coral
Context: Talking to Rick about the army
Thematic idea: Coral’s grief, she sees her son in Rick, he fits her need for her son “like a glove”
Technique: idiom
“You knew what was in that box. You left it behind. I want to know why.”
Said by: Meg
Context: Gwen left the Christmas presents behind
Thematic idea: Meg’s representation of baby boomers who began to question social norms and challenge ideas about sacrifice, she challenges Gwen who is representative of Great Depression and War generation
Technique: accusatory tone
“Never see people losing jobs and never finding another one, never be without a home, never be without enough money for a decent meal, never be afraid that everything will fall apart at any second.”
Said by: Gwen
Context: Telling Meg about Great Depression
Thematic idea: Sacrifice & planning of Gwen and Jim’s generation, deprivation , denial, and hardships inflicted upon her generation
Techniques: Anaphora of “never”
“‘As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again’… she was as good as old Vivien any day.”
Said by: Jim
Context: Telling Meg about Gwen
Thematic idea: Sacrifice & planning of Gwen and Jim’s generation, never wanting to go through war/poverty again, comparison indicates that the line resonated with Gwen & a whole generation
Technique: quote, simile
