Mrs Midas

Question 1

It was late September.

Answer 1

september connotes autumnal colours like golden leaves and trees.

Question 2

I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun to unwind 5

Answer 2

-rhyme emphasises the idea of casual feelings and relaxation.
-There are no worries.
-Unwind suggests stereotypical role of a housewife and she is enjoying that.
-Unwind connotes her being relaxed, calm and happy.
-Enjoying ordinary house work.

Question 3

The kitchen
filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, 1

Answer 3

parenthesis emphasises the sense of calmness and tranquillity.

Question 4

its steamy breath gently blanching the windows. 4

Answer 4

-imagery used to personify the steam.
-Suggests that a normal activity such as cooking is very positive.
-The windows are part of the atmosphere and the whole of the kitchen is part of the calm atmosphere.
-Steamy breath has sexual connotations which emphasises the idea of their passionate relationship.

Question 5

then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow. 3

Answer 5

-reminds us of a lover’s action of wiping their partner’s forehead.
-Holds sexual undertones and connotes domestic bliss and a positive relationship.
-It is a comforting and romantic gesture also suggesting the relationship is good.

Question 6

Now the garden was long and the visibility poor 2

Answer 6

No vision suggests it is hard to see and it is getting dark.
This creates a sinister atmosphere

Question 7

the way the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky

Answer 7

-Negative image reminding us of a vampire.
-The light that represents the good in the world is taken away from the darkness which is evil.
-This suggests his new power is really negative and bad.

Question 8

– we grew Fondante d’Automne – 2

Answer 8

–Parentheses emphasising the luxury brand.
-This suggests she is showing off her fruits giving us a boastful personality.

Question 9

On. I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree? 4

Answer 9

-The question emphasises her puzzlement and confusion.
-She doesn’t understand why the tree is lighting up.
-The minor sentence emphasises the idea that the colour is so golden that it is like a light.
-It seems like it couldn’t be anything else.

Question 10

What in the name of God is going on? 4

Answer 10

-The question emphasises her confusion of the situation.
-God suggests she is struggling not to swear here yet she is so shocked.
-It feels supernatural.
-Suggests she feels panicked.

Question 11

I thought of the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready.

Answer 11

-she can only remember her history lesson where wealth was shown.
-Nothing else compares to this idea as it is so bizarre and confusing.

Question 12

He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne. 2

Answer 12

-image. Just as a king is in control, so too does Mr Midas feel he has dominance and is full of command.
-It emphasises that he feels full of power.

Question 13

The look on his face was strange, wild, vain. 5

Answer 13

-list emphasises the negative qualities and how he is scaring her.
-Wild has connotations of being like an animal and out of control.
-Vain connotes him thinking he is amazing and thinks a lot of himself.
-Strange has connotations of it being weird and he is acting unusual.
-Suggests she feels fearful and scared of him

Question 14

He started to laugh. 4

Answer 14

-short sentence emphasises how cruel he is.
-She is confused and he is not affected.
-He is hysterical and nasty.
-We see the relationship deteriorating as he is finding her pain and confusion funny.

Question 15

I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob. 2

Answer 15

-unusual thing to eat for starters.
Corn on the cob is typically golden and suggests the natural order of things are perverted and no longer how they used to be.

Question 16

Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich. 2

Answer 16

-spitting has negative connotations suggesting he is angry and has no control.
-Reminds us of golden teeth which are typically rich and positive yet all we feel is he is going hungry.

Question 17

He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks. 3

Answer 17

-list emphasises the range of things he is trying to do to survive.
-Toyed suggests he is playing around trying to find a way to eat.
-Suggests he is suffering.

Question 18

I poured with a shaking hand, 2

Answer 18

• shaking has connotations of trembling suggesting she is fearful.
  -Which emphasises the idea of her scared feelings.

Question 19

then watched as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank. 3

Answer 19

-alliteration of the g sound is harsh which suggests she is more and more shocked.
-Goblet is very mediaeval yet a chalice makes us think of poison and evil.
-Connotations of the curse.

Question 20

It was then that I started to scream 1

Answer 20

-word choice of scream holds connotations of yelling in fear which suggests she is terrified.

Question 21

He sank to his knees. 2

Answer 21

-image. Just as a boat sinks too he is drowning in his power that he no longer holds.
-On his knees is an inferior position and he needs her help so is very vulnerable.

Question 22

I finished the wine
on my own, hearing him out. 2

Answer 22

enjambment emphasises their separation.
Suggests she is isolated yet in control.

Question 23

I made him sit
on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself. 1

Answer 23

Made has connotations of force and so the word made emphasises her control and forcefulness. Sense of termination.

Question 24

I locked the cat in the cellar. 2

Answer 24

short sentence emphasises her care and thoughtfulness.
She is ensuring her pet is safe. Suggests she is loving.

Question 25

I moved the phone. 1

Answer 25

suggests she is practical and takes procedures to keep her safe.

Question 26

The toilet I didn’t mind. 2

Answer 26

humorous as it emphasises the ridiculous idea of a golden toilet. Used a coping strategy.

Question 27

Look, we all have wishes; granted. But who has wishes granted? 3

Answer 27

the initial granted is accepting the fact we all have desires.
The second ‘granted’ suggests that not everyone gets their dreams to come true.
The semicolon helps explain that.

Question 28

Him.

Question 29

Do you know about gold?

Question 30

It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes
no thirst. 2

Answer 30

emphasises the lack of variety of use for gold. Discusses all the negative aspects of gold.

Question 31

Separate beds. 2

Answer 31

• minor sentence emphasises the sense of isolation and change.
  -The word choice of separate has connotations of alone and being apart.

Question 32

in fact, I put a chair against my door, 2

Answer 32

-she does not want to be near him.
- Chair connotes a physical barrier which emphasises her fear of him and their separation.

Question 33

near petrified. 2

Answer 33

-minor sentence emphasises her fear.
-Petrified has connotations of extreme feelings of terror and feeling very frightened.

Question 34

He was below, turning the spare room into the tomb of Tutankhamun. 2

Answer 34

• just as everyone assosiated with tutankhamun died so too is mr midas a threat to people he is surrounded by.
  -Creates an ominous atmosphere.

Question 35

You see, we were passionate then,

Answer 35

passionate suggests physical intimacy, emphasising the contrast to separate beds

Question 36

unwrapping each other, rapidly like presents, fast food. 5

Answer 36

-physical relationship brought her joy.
-Like a present as it brought her delight.
-Need food to survive just like you need intimacy for love to survive.
-Image emphasises the physical contact and relationship that they can no longer have.
-Sense of loss.

Question 37

But now I feared his honeyed embrace, the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art. 3

Answer 37

a living human being compared to a work of art is scary and unusual.
- Honey is typically sweet and desirable but in this circumstance it is like a honey trap which will kill her.
-Very sinister and dark.

Question 38

And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live with a heart of gold? 2

Answer 38

ambiguity
- heart of gold is typically associated with being a kind person but if you literally have a heart made of gold, you cannot survive.

Question 39

That night, I dreamt I bore
his child

Answer 39

• dreams should be really positive yet this is clearly a nightmare as she dreams of a dying child.

Question 40

its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue like a precious latch, its amber eyes 3

Answer 40

• repetition of its emphasises that it is not human and it is more like a monstrous being.
• Contrast with perfect as it suggests that the child is precious.
  -List emphasises that the child cannot live with its father having the curse.

Question 41

its amber eyes
holding their pupils like flies. 2

Answer 41

-Its amber eyes connotes dead bodies and flies surrounding it.
-Image of death and decay, unsettling. Latch connotes trapped and pain.

Question 42

My dream milk
burned in my breasts. 3

Answer 42

• burned has connotations of fire, agonising feelings.
  -Dream connotes desires suggesting she desperately wants a child but she knows she can’t have one as if she did, it would die.
  -The harsh b sound emphasises the idea of it being upsetting for her.

Question 43

I woke to the streaming sun.

Answer 43

sun connotes golden colours which suggest that every time she wakes up she is thinking of bhim and she has lots of emotional pain.

Question 44

So he had to move out. 2

Answer 44

emphasises her strength as she can force him to do things she is in control and ensuring her safety.
Short sentence emphasises that.

Question 45

We’d a caravan
in the wilds, 2

Answer 45

• wild sets scenes of wild animals and lack of human things.
  Power has made him crazy and out of control

Question 46

in a glade of its own.

Answer 46

• isolated to keep everyone safe.

Question 47

I drove him up
under the cover of dark. 4

Answer 47

-shows she is nurturing and caring.
-Getting herself to safety by taking control.
-Under the cover of dark suggests it is secret.
-Curses are embarrassing and shameful.

Question 48

And then I came home, the woman who married the fool who wished for gold. 3

Answer 48

this is what she thinks people are saying about her.
She is embarrassed of him.
-Fool connotes being an idiot.

Question 49

At first, I visited, odd times, 3

Answer 49

• she saw him trying to keep the relationship going.
  -Shows the relationship is deteriorating and she isn’t going often.
• At first suggests she doesn’t visit him at all now.

Question 50

You knew you were getting close.

Answer 50

You engages the reader

Question 51

Golden trout on the grass.

Answer 51

enjambment emphasises how unusual of a place it is.

Question 52

One day, a hare hung from a larch, a beautiful lemon mistake. 2

Answer 52

-beautiful has positive connotations of attractive and appealing yet lemon is bitter and distasteful.
-Mistake has connotations of accidents as he didnt mean to kill the hare.

Question 53

And then his footprints,
glistening next to the river’s path.

Answer 53

positive connotations of shining and glimmering.

Question 54

He was thin, delirious; hearing, he said, the music of Pan from the woods. 3

Answer 54

connotations of losing your mind and going crazy. It tells us the repercussions of the curse.
has connotations of starving and hungry. Connotes suffering.
means he is hearing this before he is going totally crazy. Minor sentence emphasises how bad it is.

Question 55

That was the last straw.

Answer 55

When he loses his mind, that means there is nothing left of the relationship and she can no longer see him.

Question 56

What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed
but lack of thought for me. 2

Answer 56

discuss the lack of thought.
Lack emphasises the absence and no consideration.

Question 57

Pure selfishness. 3

Answer 57

minor sentence emphasises his greed.
-The word pure suggests that there was nothing else but selfish behaviour.
-Connotations of sheer greed. He hasnt thought about her whatsoever.

Question 58

I think of him in certain lights, dawn, late afternoon,

Answer 58

list emphasises the scale and variety of all of the times she is hurt and thinking of him.

Question 59

and once a bowl of apples stopped me dead. 3

Answer 59

golden colour of apples.
-Dead connotes her being emotionally done and gone.
-She is getting constant reminders of him.

Question 60

I miss most,
even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch. 3

Answer 60

-repetition of hands and his emphasises how desperate she is for his touch.
-Most emphasises how she feels she lost him a lot.
-Repetition of his implies it’s not anyone’s touch she wants but his. Warm hand suggests he is comforting.