Journey Into Bhutan

Question 1

“Mountains all around… again and again. Bhutan is all and only mountains”.
“But I cannot imagine it”.

Answer 1

• The frustrated tone creates a negative attitude, the writer already draws out a feeling of sympathy from the reader. The use of repetition creates a sense of entrapment by the mountains, the writer feels as if she’s been placed in a prison or cage.
• The writer immediately shifts into a description of the sublime and great beauty of the environment, making the reader question whether they should feel awe or fear towards the mountains. This engages the reader by making them actively think on the writers feelings and emotions, as we have no idea what to expect of Bhutan and its environment.

Question 2

“Piling up rock, pinching mud into ridges… knuckling out little valleys and gorges, poking holes for water”.
“A ninety-minute drive from the airport in Paro… it took five different flights over four days to get here”.
“On the other side of the mountains are mountains, more mountains and mountains again”.

Answer 2

• The writers verb choice creates a semantic field violent and harsh connotations, engaging the reader by making them feel confused and question whether Bhutan is a hospitable place or a harsh environment.
• The use of a complex and long sentence emphasises the distance and isolation of Bhutan, creating an image for the reader of how remote the writer feels at this time.
• The repetition of mountains further reinforces the writers unenthusiastic attitude, as the writer believes they are stuck in the middle of nowhere. The writer makes the mountains feel inescapable, drawing out a sense of sympathy from the reader to Zeppa’s experience. In addition to this, the noun ‘mountains’ is used in more than one paragraph, highlighting to the reader how the mountains are constantly on the writers mind.

Question 3

“A grand whitewashed, red-roofed, golden-tipped fortress, built in the traditional way, without blueprints or nails”.
“Very handsome people, beautiful aristocratic faces, friendly, explaining politely”.
“I am full of admiration for this small country that has managed to look after itself so well”.

Answer 3

• The writers adjective choices of beauty create a sense of majesty, demonstrating the readers changing attitudes and appreciation towards the country. The reader changes alongside the writer, as we have no idea of what to expect in Bhutan, so our attitude and appreciation towards the country also change.
• The writer creates a sense of beauty, describing the Bhutanese people as a sense of comfort to her, making the reader feel glad and relieved as we appreciate the Bhutanese people and culture for being so supportive and comforting.
• The writers tone has changed completely, all because of the Bhutanese people and history of the country we have learnt and discovered. The closing sentence confirms the writers growing admiration and changed feelings towards Bhutan. This contrasting structure encourages the reader with the concept that we should always persevere and have a positive mindset.