Mid-term Break Quotations

Question 0

“Sat all morning”

Answer 0

Showing he was bored and was there for a while without knowing what was going on

Question 1

“Mid-term break”

Answer 1

The title gives connotations of a holiday, making the title ambiguous as it has another meaning as well, which is death.

Question 2

“Counting bells knelling classes to a close”

Answer 2

This alliteration is used here to help the reader to associate a rhythm with the bells. The letter “C” helps us to see the repetition of the bells. The bells are also reminiscent to the ones that ring out at funerals

Question 3

“Father crying”

Answer 3

This is strange for the reader has he has never seen his father cry before

Question 4

“It was a hard blow”

Answer 4

This is ambiguous as it is it can mean that it was a hard blow on the family emotional going through and event like this. It can also mean that it was a hard blow when the little boy was hit by the car

Question 5

“The baby cooed and laughed”

Answer 5

This show that even in a time like this not all family members are aware of the atmosphere of lose around them.

Question 6

“I was embarrassed”

Answer 6

He know that people are talking about him and this makes him feel uncomfortable

Question 7

“Sorry for my trouble”

Answer 7

This cliché is euphemism as the people that come up to him and say this we trying to use gentle language instead of stating the events in which have happened.

Question 8

“My mother held my hand”

Answer 8

This is his mothers reaction to the events that have taken place. This is also very embarrassing for the reader

Question 9

“Coughed out angry tearless sighs”

Answer 9

She is angry because she has just lose her little boy making her angry at the events in which have taken place and also at the driver of the car that hit her son. She is not crying because the events that have taken place have not hit her yet, she still believes that they are a nightmare.

Question 10

“Corpse”

Answer 10

Show that this is impersonal and that the people handling the body only treat it as their job.

Question 11

“Starched and bandaged”

Answer 11

We see here that they have cleaned the body and bleached the cuts to make it look more presentable.

Question 12

“Snowdrops”

Answer 12

Symbolism of spring time and new life, helping to soften the atmosphere of lose.

Question 13

“Candles”

Answer 13

Make the bedside of the cofin look more comforting and soothing

Question 14

“Paler now”

Answer 14

As he is dead the blood has stopped flowing round the body, making him look almost white

Question 15

“Poppy bruise”

Answer 15

On a literal level means that the bruise on his temple resembles a poppy, giving connotations of remembrance as when you think of a poppy we think of people that have lost their lives. The poppy is also effective to use here as Optium was made from poppies. This is something that helps people sleep, making this work as the boy has been put to sleep for ever

Question 16

“Foot long box”

Answer 16

This is compared to the babies coat as it is only four foot long giving connotations that death is linked to sleep and rest

Question 17

“Knocked him clear”

Answer 17

Meaning that the babies body is not covered on cuts and bruises as the car was able to knock that baby clean meaning that the baby did not go under the car or anything like that.

Question 18

“A four foot box, a foot for every year”

Answer 18

There is a grim irony here as the coffin size is a measurement of the boys brief life.