Manhunt

Question 1

What is Manhunt based on?

Answer 1

Based on Eddie Beddos by his wife Laura

About Eddie coming back with physical and mental scars

Question 2

What does Manhunt mean?

Answer 2

• an intensive search for a person

- a criminal or victim who’s been kidnapped = thus a negative connotation (sets tone of a horrible story)

Question 3

What is the context of Manhunt?

Answer 3

• In the Bosnian War (1992 to 1995) = Eddie Beddos is a British soldier turned peacekeeper
• PTSD = an anxiety disorder caused by distressing events - can be characterised by nightmares and flashbacks, feeling of isolation, guilt and depression

Question 4

What does the title of Manhunt mean?

Answer 4

The shows that’s it’s important

And manhunt shows that it implies finding or reclaiming someone

Question 5

What shows that Laura and Eddie have a strong relationship

Answer 5

• ‘after passionate nights and intimate days’

- loving relationship but ‘after’ shows it’s short lived

Question 6

What shows there is tension in their relationship?

Answer 6

• ‘let me trace’

- permission shows that there is some sort of tension

Question 7

What shows that Eddie is stuck in his emotions?

Answer 7

‘Frozen river’

- like his emotions which are stuck in place as he battles with his PTSD

Question 8

What shows violence and fragility in the poem?

Answer 8

‘Blown hinge’ - violence

Question 9

What does the form show?

Answer 9

• each stanza is a rhyming couplet which could show love

Question 10

What shows Eddie’ body as being fragile

Answer 10

‘Damaged, porcelain’
‘Fractured rudder’
‘Parachute silk’

Question 11

What technique creates a sense of care?

Answer 11

‘Handle and hold’
‘ mind and attend’
‘Finger and thumb’
- all doubled verb constructions

Question 12

How does the rhyme scheme change between the stanza?

Answer 12

• becomes weaker in stanza 2 and a lot of it turns to half rhyme
• shows there is difficulty in the healing process and difficulty in the relationship

Question 13

Describe the effect of enjambment and caesura?

Answer 13

• enjambment in hold/ the = broken and healing process in slow
• caesura in damaged, porcelain = shows there are barriers in the healing process

Question 14

What shows that repairing eddie is strenuous?

Answer 14

• his ribs are compared to ‘rungs’ in a ladder

Question 15

What shows Laura is putting Eddie back together

Answer 15

• ‘bind the struts’ shows that she is putting Eddie back again piece by piece and making him strong again

Question 16

What shows Laura understanding his pain?

Answer 16

• half rhyme of hurt and heart in 3rd stanza = understands trauma and their relationship strengthens again

Question 17

What shows Laura enjoys loving Eddie

Answer 17

‘Skirting along’ shows that it’s a light and casual tone = loving Eddie is not a chore is neither is understanding him

Question 18

What phrases show the life changing effects of war?

Answer 18

‘The scan’ ‘The foetus of the metal’

• the bullet is compared to a baby
• emphasises the effects of war

Question 19

What phrase shows the anxiety felt by Eddie?

Answer 19

‘Sweating, unexploded mine’

- feelings of anxiety and stress showing PTSD

Question 20

What shows Eddie’s PTSD is hidden?

Answer 20

‘Buried deep in his mind’
‘Every nerve in his body tightened and closed’
- PTSD is hidden but effects are all consuming mentally and physically
- he can explode

Question 21

What shows that the healing process in not complete yet?

Answer 21

‘Closed’ and ‘close’ half rhyme on last stanza

Question 22

What themes does Manhunt cover?

Answer 22

• power, love, war, time, man