Comparison Place: Living Space Flashcards
“Chartered street” & “Thames” VS
“Not enough straight lines”
Both present an idea of confinement, even nature has no free flow. The people in London are trapped in society (potentially poverty) while the people in living space seem to want more structure
“Blackening church appalls” & “Marriage hearse”
“Thin walls of faith”. Blake creates a melancholy tone (there is a lack of faith as the church does not help the poor) ; links to his rejection of established religion. Dharker suggests there is faith within the poverty, a more hopeful tone for the slums of Mumbai; seeming more free
“Chimney-sweepers cry” VS
“Slanted universe” both suggest there is an unfair distribution of wealth. The young have to work dangerous jobs for little pay off and “slanted suggests it is unfair.
“Mind-frog’d manacles” VS
“Dared to place these eggs in a wire basket”. The people in London are tied down and restricted to society (mentally). The people in living space are daring and pushing at their boundaries; they are willing to take risks and so seem to not be restricted to their beliefs.
Repetition of “every” VS
“The whole structure leans dangerously towards the miraculous”. London shows lots of aspects of society; they are all confined and struggling (even from a young age). Living space is a microcosm for all of Mumbai; they are pushing against their restrictions to the point of it being almost amazing. “Squeezed a living space”
The 1st world seems to be presented as more restricted and trapped than the 3rd world…
This is ironic as they are more advanced and should be better off but are ultimately struggling more
