In The Snack Bar Flashcards
What is the focus of Stanza 2?
Author takes the old man down the stairs. They go back upstairs. All the senses are overwhelming.
What is the focus of Stanza 3?
Describes old mans life and says how hard it is as he’s helpless.
What is the focus of Stanza 1?
Old man wants to go to toilet.
“A cup capsizes”
Alliteration mimics the sound. It falls easily like the man would.
“Formica”
Cheap. Gives a sense of the setting.
“Dull clatter”
Cheap. You don’t care about the sound but the reader does.
“few” “crowded”
Contrast. Many people are there but only a few care.
“trying”
Struggling. People don’t help.
“Slowly”
He has to do everything slowly. His life is slow.
“no power.”
He is weak.
“as far as he can get”
He isn’t fully standing, he can’t.
“dismal hump”
Life is dismal.
“Looming”
His hump is always there casting a shadow.
“monstrous animal caught in a tent”
Scary. Makes you want to stay away and not help.
“He sways slightly”
Feeble. Sibilance draws attention to it.
“face not seen”
People don’t actually want to see his face. They don’t care.
“I notice now his stick, one painted white / but scuffed and muddy”
He used to be young and fresh.
” ‘Give me - your arm - it’s better,’ “
He’s done it before. It is a regular occurrence. He finds it difficult to speak or is embarrassed to ask.
“Inch by inch”
Moving really slowly. Imperial system reflects his age.
“Drift”
Contrasts to how he actually moves.
“Landscape / to be negotiated”
Hard to walk. Landscape has many obstacles.
“crunch of spilt sugar………inches to the stairs”
All the other senses are heightened due to his blindness. Onomatopoeia shows that he hears more.
“Slow dangerous inches”
Even inches are threatening.
“Clings”
He is helpless.
