originally Flashcards
“My brothers cried, one of them bawling Home, Home”
Unlike the mother, it is clear that Duffys siblings are distressed by the move. The word choice of “Bawling” suggests that they are wailing loudly, repetitively and will not stop. The repetition of the word “Home” indicates that they are constantly mentioning, complaining or crying about having to leave their home. Repeating the word also suggests that the home that they have left behind is constantly on their minds and the only subject of conversation in the car.
“Your accent wrong”
This suggests that Duffy felt different because of her Scottish accent and the word choice of “Wrong” infers that she wasnt accepted initially because of it
“My parents anxiety stirred like a loose tooth in my head”
The similie compares the poet’s awareness of her parent’s anxiety to a loose tooth which suggests that she is always aware of the fact that her mother and father- who are traditional sources of security for children- are unsettled and clearly worried about the challenges facing them and their children as they try to adjust to the move. Like a wobbly tooth, her insecurity and awareness of how her parents are feeling is something that is constantly irratating and nagging away at her
“Now where do you come from? strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate”
The poem concludes with more questions, again highlighting how Duffy is no nearer to finding answers to the questions that she has been asking about identity and the way that childhood experiences and places shape us
The short, emphatic final sentence finishes the poem with a doubtful tone. Duffy has spent most her life in the North of England and this place has obviously played a major role in shaping the person she has become. However, the few years she spent in Scotland are also a part of her identity and technically, she comes from Scotland, but she hasnt lived there for a while. This creates the situation where she is still not totally secure in her sense of identity
