Manhunt - Simon Armitage Flashcards
‘Frozen river’
‘Frozen river which ran through his face’
Represents the scar on his face. ‘Frozen’ suggests that he cannot flow freely and cannot communicate his trauma. The couple are on either side of the bank, unable to come together.
‘Fractured rudder’
‘Fractured rudder of a shoulder blade’
Rudder guides the boat but it is fractured. He is unable to move forward in life and his uncertain future. This may be filled in by Laura.
‘Parachute silk’
‘The parachute silk of his punctured lung’
Both parachute and lung rely on air and without it, plummets like their relationship. ‘Silk’ reminds of strength and fragility like a parachute, he is teetering on the line of alive and dead.
‘Foetus metal’
‘Foetus of metal beneath his chest’
Laura is a radiologist revealing internal damage as a foetus with the possibility of new life. The metal suggests the emotional and physiological damage can still grow. The marriage can still grow with time
‘Unexploded mine’
‘Sweating, unexploded mine buried deep in his mind’
Unexploded suggests there is potential for devastating damage physiologically. However, it is yet to happen so there is room for prevention. ‘Mine’ and ‘mind’
