H Is For Hawk

Question 1

“We’ll check the ring numbers against the Article 10’s… don’t want you going home with the wrong bird”.

Answer 1

• The use of direct speech and media res create a feeling of action, urgency and excitement for the reader as we do not know what to expect or understand what is happening.
• The use of cautionary words about going home with the wrong birds are proleptic, setting up a suspicion in the readers mind. By the end of the article it is clear that the wrong bird on paper is the right bird in real life, creating a sense of irony.

Question 2

“Another hinge untied. Concentration. Infinite caution. Daylight irrigating the box… a sudden thump of feathered shoulders and the box shook as if something had punched it”.

Answer 2

• The use of a series of short, incomplete sentences creates a feeling of pace, tension, excitement and potential danger as well as anticipation for the reader as we know as much as the writer at this time, we do not know what to expect. The use of the metaphor ‘daylight irrigating the box’ creates the impression of light flooding the box. This is effective because it is strange, mixing the imagery of light and water, creating a feeling of excitement for and engaging the reader.
• The use of onomatopoeia and italics with the verb ‘thump’ makes the word seem more violent and forceful, communicating the nature of the bird in the box. This adds to the sensory description and vivid picture for the reader. The simile compares the sound to someone punching the box, which is both violent and suggests the bird wants to escape and doesn’t like being caged. All of these techniques contribute to a sense of foreboding and dread for the reader, pointing to the dangerous nature of what is inside of the box.

Question 3

“Oh… the hood was on, the ring numbers checked, the bird back in the box…”
“With wind wrecked hair and exhausted eyes”.

Answer 3

• When the writer finds out the bird is not the one meant for her, the use of a single word emphasises her disappointment and sadness. She has started to bond and identify with the bird, its awkward, fearful behaviour, reminding her of herself venturing through dealing with the loss of her father”.
• The listing of actions conveys that the deal is virtually done and creates tension because the writer knows she wants the other bird but doesn’t know how to say it or even if she will have the time or a chance”.
• The alliteration of ‘w’ and ‘e’ shows the reader how tired and bedraggled the writer is and how desperately she is trying to get the other bird which she connected with. The description is engaging and sympathetic, also making her seem a little like the birds; tired, fearful, ruffled and not looking her best but also dependant on the man for the answers she needs, much like the birds have depended on him for food, water and care.