Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan Flashcards
What type of text is ‘Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan’
Autobiography
what is the purpose of the text ‘Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan’
a memoir(to reflect)
to inform western readers about the life in Bhutan
what tone is used in the text ‘Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan’
1st Person : Western White perspective
Tone Develops:
1.Awed & Overwhelmed
2.Critical & disappointed (of Western Influences)
3. Alienated
4. Patronising condescending & admiring - but no humility
what are the key themes and ideas in the text ‘Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan’
- Beauty and wonder at natural landscape
- Admiration for the people – though 40 years on, from our 21st Century perspective seems patronising
- Critical of Influence of Western Culture
- Admiration for History and Culture – admiration for poetic beauty of place names etc
highlight some structural points in the text ‘Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan’
Opens : Mountains – present tense – wonder and awe at their dramatic alien landscape
Develops this by shift to account of journey : stress remote isolation of Bhutan
Dramatic Contrast next - with account of breakfast and capital – to stress incongruous (out of the ordinary) and shocking influence of western culture
Throughout alternates between personal account of experiences & reflections of Bhutan and its people– and historical, geographical informative research. Helps inform reader and contextualise her responses.
Ends with positive admiration for Bhutan – though could be interpreted as condescending as well.
highlight some language points in the text ‘Beyond The Earth & Sky: A Journey Into Bhutan’
descriptive bucolic language
violent confrontational geographical account: ‘colliding’ ‘landmass meets landmass’
oxymoronic image of ‘giant child’ to stress she how struggles to make sense of mountains (western irony)
Violent imagery in the listed verbs ‘knuckling’ ‘pinching’ ‘poking’
plosives and onomatopoeia – captures extreme of peaks and troughs in landscape
Criticising western influence
the use of listing emphasises the Contrast between natural and western references ‘ lotus flowers, jewels and clouds’ - and semantic field of unpleasant artifice ‘ powdered milk ‘instant coffee’ plastiky white bread’
Admiration for Bhutan
Mystical imagery - ‘Land of the thunder dragon’, ‘Rainbow district of desires, Lotus grove of the Gods, blooming valley of luxuriant fruits, the land of longing and silver pines.’
