Brooklyn Cop Flashcards
“Built like a gorilla but less timid,”
Simile: Big, solid, aggressive, violent, muscular.
Word choice of ‘Less timid emphasises this’
“thick-fleshed, steak-coloured,”
Word choice: ‘Flesh’ and ‘steak’ makes us think of a piece of meat, like the cop might too bright/raw raw in his approach. Blood/flesh/violence. Flesh is easily damaged.
“with two hieroglyphs in his face that mean trouble,”
‘Hieroglyphs’ suggest his eyes are hard to read/cannot read his emotions/thoughts. This word makes us think of ancient writing, suggesting he’s seen/ experienced a lot. Appearance of being ‘rcok hard’
‘trouble’ - he seeks out fights, looks for danger.
“he walks the sidewalk and the thin tissue over violence.”
Metaphor - The violence is bubbling under the surface all the time/only takes something small to stir up the criminal underworld of killings and beatings.
“This morning, when he said, ‘See you, babe’ to his wife, he hoped it, he truly hoped it.”
‘This morning’ - contrast in setting from the streets to the cop’s home.
‘hoped’ - Repetition emphasises how much he wants to come home. He’s aware of the dangers. This shows vulnerability/love for his wife.
“He is a gorilla”
Change from simile to a metaphor amplifies his connection to the gorilla.
“to whom ‘Hiya,honey’ is no cliche.”
He might never see his wife again so this phrase has meaning to him. Again emphasises his vulnerability/love for his wife.
“Should the tissue tear,”
Reference to violence - tearing of skin tissue. Also references thin veneer between civilization and world of violence crumbling away.
“should he plunge into violence, what clubbings, what gunshots”
‘plunge’ - Violent fall/falling into water with force. The change in him is obvious/strong. Also, could suggest he seeks violence out and forces himself into the situation.
Violent words. Repetition of ‘what’ suggests unknown.
“between Phoebe’s Whamburger and Louie’s Place.”
American connotations.
Mafia/gangster hangouts.
“Who would be him, gorilla with a nightstick”
Cops would stereotypically have guns, this choice suggests the cop likes beating people/enjoys using his physical strength. Phallic symbol emphasises his masculinity.
“whose home is a place”
‘Home’ highlights his sense of self and the fear he might lose who he is as a person due to the nature of his job.
“he might, this time, never get back to?”
Parenthesis - specifies that he has made it home today but tomorrow might be different.
Rhetorical question - makes us question the type of person who would want to do a job like this.
“And who would be who have to be his victims?”
Implies they would have to be in a bad way to choose to be persued by the cop/have no other life options. Once they have chosen to commit crime they will ‘have to’ face the consequences of the cop’s justice.
‘Victims’ refer to the criminals. Suggests the cop deals his own brand of justice/is more violent than they are.
Question leaves us wondering how he treats people/how bad your life would have to be to go against him.
