I Am I Am I Am

Question 1

PAF/ context of production and reception

Answer 1

PURPOSE- capturing her near death experiences , reflecting on her stage of life at the time of one of these incidents from a distant perspective
AUDIENCE- readers of her novels interested in her personal life
FORMAT- memoir conventional= honest and accurate, account of events and memories.
Unconventional = rather formal register, in third person present tense as opposed to first person past tense, external detailed perspective detached from person emotions, non chronological scattered style of writing.

Context- contracted encephalitis which damaged her cerebellum this affected motor skills leading to her many near death experiences

Question 2

Lexis

Answer 2

Potentially unconventional complexity of lexis- negative prefixes “unavoidable” “unresolvable” “unconscionable” connoting a higher level of complexity in this situation than the simply stated “a man and a woman are walking beside a river” the use of indefinite articles “a” creates a distance between herself and the situation being described- this is furthered by the third person perspective. The triplet of almost semantically identical lexis here creates a sense of consumption- that this “situation” at this moment is the most significant aspect of her life - this is used to place into perspective how we as humans place such large significance on issues like the one being alluded to here and perhaps for o Farrell it took a life threatening event to put this into perspective

Biological/anatomical lexis- in the beginning section perhaps to foreshadow the near tragedy “hospital” “stitches” “hand”
Later on to ground herself “alveoli” “atoms” reminding herself that despite the complexity of this issue, everyone is simply composed of atoms- this creates a sense of relatability between herself and the readers who almost certainly have not experienced the 17 near death experiences she has. This also explores the deep rooted connection she feels between herself and this man as she “pictures the molecules of him” the definite article “the” connotes a specific nature of the “molecules” as if she is so interconnected with him she is addressing the particular molecules that she is picturing. Alternatively, she may be reminding herself, and readers, that this “man” is simply just a man- made up of “atoms” just as she is and the complexity of her feelings for him do not outweigh the significance of her life in which she is so close to losing

Question 3

Perspective

Answer 3

Unconventionally- the memoir is written in a close third tense rather than first past
This creates a great deal of distance between herself as the writer and herself in the moment being illustrated and her reflecting on it almost theatrically. This also creates an immersive experience for the reader the imagery used and the distant perspective makes this typically informal memoir almost novel like.
Present progressive verb “walking” and “moving” illustrate a continuation- this could be the ongoing nature of this memory in the mind of o Farrell 

Question 4

Sentences structure

Question 5

What is it about

Answer 5

The fragility of life
The inflated significance we give situations
Her own near death experiences - may foreground some of her novels

Question 6

Tone

Answer 6

Self deprecating- train of euphemistic lexis “kick the bucket. Carked it. End of the line.”
Use of simple sentences here creates a sense of bathos- o Farrell has moved from the complex sentences to simple to de escalate the intensity of the situation as to her it is almost familiar while simultaneously moving from the serious to the ridiculous.