Kathleen Jamie Quotes Flashcards
“the Victoria hospital stands like a fortress behind a moat of car parks… or perhaps a walled city.”
This suggests that like a castle, the hospital is difficult to reach. Also like a castle, the hospital is keeping people out or even in.
“embattled”
Suggests that you would have to be brave enough to try enter.
“lengthy signboards direct arrivals to foreign-sounding destinations.”
This links to a hospital because it suggests that once inside, they can both become confusing, scary places, which would make you feel uncomfortable to be in and heal in because of the poor design.
“gratitude”
Emphasises the need to feel grateful that we have hospitals and can access them whenever we need.
“if your child is sick, if your son comes off his motorbike, if you find a sudden lump.”
Shows all the different things that could possibly happen to us and make us realise that we would be grateful to go, despite the architecture or design.
“dismay”
Emphasises how dreadful it is to go and strengthens the idea that we feel some sort of worry and sadness in hospitals.
“no windows, no trees or sky.”
Emphasises the poor design of hospitals as healing spaces as it shows that hospitals are very indoors and technological with no nature.
“bland”
Suggests that hospitals are boring, lifeless and have no individuality.
“sauna”
Start of separating living and healing spaces.
Jamie sets up the idea of modern, clinical hospitals and contrasts it with the small, intimate spaces of healing.
“something from a fairy story, a little building which only becomes visible when you need it.”
The simile shows the magic of the Maggie’s Centre. Just as a magical building appears in a fairy story when most needed, the Centre is there for the patients when they are most in need of it.
“dark, angular, mineral-look, like folded sandpaper.”
This shows cancer can affect people’s lives in negative ways.
“the darkness is banished and the space is open plan… like a seashell.”
Contrasting interior of the building shows that there is hope for people with cancer.
This shows that if buildings are well-designed and comforting to be in, it will improve people’s healing processes.
“unflustered”
To create a calm, relaxing tone which suggests unhurried and peaceful to describe the Maggie’s Centre.
“calmly”
Suggests being relaxed and composed.
“sinister”
Creates an anxious tone but also suggests evil and threatening.
