Mrs Midas Flashcards
“It was late September”
Peak of Autumn - golden month
“I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun to unwind”
Creates relaxed domestic scene to start
“The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath gently blanching the windows”
Personification of kitchen to create a sense of being alive and homely. Contrast to the life-sapping events taking place in the garden
“my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow”
Simile contrast to lifelessness outside. The beginning of the separation between them
“He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig”
First time we see Mr Midas he is being destructive
“Now the garden was long and the visibility poor”
Unsure of what she’s seeing and puts it down to visibility she doesn’t understand the situation
“the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky”
Personification shows the dark nature of the garden and suggests something is going wrong
“he plucked a pear from a branch”
casual action by Mr Midas doesn’t think anything will happen
“we grew Fondante d’Automne”
Parenthesis adds extra information about their normal life together and the idea that they grew and created something - contrast to later
“and it sat in his palm like a light bulb. On”
simile - shape and brightness of the pear. Full stops add comedic effect - reflects her shock and disbelief
“I thought to myself, is he putting fairy lights in the tree?”
Whimsical and humorous imagery contrasts with seriousness of what’s just happened
“He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. You know the mind”
Two short sentences show how quickly he changed things
“the Field of the Cloth of Gold”
A meeting in Calais between Kings of England and France both built lavish palaces embellished with golden cloth
“He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne”
Simile has the power of a king but can’t control it “Burnished” - polished
“The look on his face was strange, wild, vain.”
He realises the power he’s been given and doesn’t know how to cope
“What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh”
Question show Mrs Midas can’t understand and they find it humorous - contrast to later
“I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob.”
Tries to inject a sense of normality by using a matter of fact tone
“Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich”
Metaphor - the corn has turned to gold adds to comical tone
“He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knifes, the forks.”
List shows how many things he was turning - even simple act of dining became difficult
“I poured with shaking hand”
word choice - connotation of fear, uncertainty - starting to become anxious - not so funny anymore
“as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank”
Alliteration/list - to show quick progression of the object transforming - harsh sound of “g” highlights seriousness of “gift”
“It was then that I started to scream. He sank to his knees”
Tone has become negative
“I made him sit on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself”
Emphasises the clear change in relationship and start of separation - loss of touch/intimacy
“I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. The toilet I didn’t mind”
Short sentences show the extent to which she had to change things - joke about toilet to soften tone
