Chemistry Flashcards
Name 3 themes in chemistry
- relationships
- trust
- conflict
What is the Ralph portrayed as towards the beginning of the story?
A dog
“Then one day-it must have been soon after Mother met Ralph- we watched the boat…”
Name a language device used here and it’s effect.
The use of parenthesis here suggests that Ralph’s arrival and the boat sinking were not incidental; it provides a metaphor for Ralphs detrimental influence on familial relations
Who are the two voices in this story and which one is perceived as reliable and which one is perceived unreliable
The boy/young adult could be perceived as an unreliable narrator.
Older voice of the man looking back gives a more reliable story.
Why is the narrator deemed as unreliable in regard to his memories?
The events he described in a retrospective narrative or emotionally charged and he’s the only boys in the story. Additionally the events which occurred happened some years before, as such, the people in the story I presented one dimensional
perspective, based on childhood recollections
The story has a key theme of: things change but Are not destroyed by death. What part of the story strengthens this theme?
Swift uses the operation of the father as a means of strengthening the boys notions of infinity, of how things change but Is not destroyed and of how death does not destroy familial bonds.
Key themes:
Grief
Guilt
Narrative voice
Relationships
Power
Hatred
Create an acronym ( a word that has the first letter of all of the themes)
The grandfather is wise and knowledgeable. The simple sentence “* * ****is directed and clear in its message. It foreshadows the grandfather‘s death and the reader infers that this is the way which he died. Show some evidence for this.
“Prussic acid. Not for drinking.”
“You must accept it – you can’t get it back – it’s the only way“. Show some analysis for this
The grandfather is still feeling the loss of his wife is trying to accept it. He understands that death must be accepted as being a part of life. He uses an imperative to emphasise the inevitable. The adjective “only“ further develop the grandfathers firm stance on the subject
“He liked his food“ he was eating “bigger and bigger meals“. what does this say about Ralph?
Ralph’s size alone makes him threatening. The repetition conveys to the reader Ralphs growing appetite, literally here, for food but symbolically his growing desire for power and control. Therefore presenting Ralph as an unpleasant and mean character
“All that autumn was exceptionally cold“ this change of weather has different connotations, what are they?
Autumn symbolises change your new beginnings it is normally associated with positive views optimistically. However Swift chooses to describe autumn as “cold”, which has connotations of heartlessness and a loss of hope. The advert” exceptionally” suggest that this auto is particularly harsh and intensifies the bitterness associated with cold weather, especially for the boy and grandfather as they struggle with new family dynamics.
State “that implies that Ralph is similar to a dog
“Ralph suddenly barked“
State a metaphor for the mothers and Ralphs control of the situation. The grandfather death marks a significant new beginning for the two as they said the power freely. Clue: it’s to do with the garden
“They tidied the overgrown parts of the garden and clipped back the trees”
